


Must Love Dogs

by D_elfie



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, DAPromptExchange, Dogs, Dragon Age Prompt Exchange, Explicit Language, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Non-Justice Anders (Dragon Age), Prompt Fill, Romantic Comedy, Seriously this is a fluffy gay rom com, That got away from me and will be a few chapters long now, Tumblr Prompt, dog park, dogs make the best wingman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-03-24 15:05:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13813704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D_elfie/pseuds/D_elfie
Summary: A regular outing to the dog park turns into a meet-cute between Hawke and a cute blond.





	1. The Meet-Cute

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this prompt from Tumblr dapromptexchange ](http://dapromptexchange.tumblr.com/post/166867786070/hawke-takes-dog-to-the-park-where-he-meets-a)
> 
> This was supposed to be a short one-shot prompt fill but instead it's about a dozen chapters with a potential spin-off. Wee!

“Hey, Dog! Walkies time!” Hawke jingled the leash. The whole ground floor of the house shook as the mastiff barreled down the hallway. He had too much momentum and his paws slipped on the polished tiles. Hawke attempted to brace himself as the dog careened right into his shins. It didn’t work and he went down under 190lbs of muscle, fur and slobber.

“Oof!” Hawke struggled to push Dog off his lap. Dog practically vibrated with excitement, his whole back end wagging with the nub of his tail. Hawke was laughing as he fended off licks.

“Come on buddy, we can’t go to the dog park if you won’t let me up!” Hawke eventually wiggled out from under Dog but not before his beard was coated in slobber. He rubbed his face with his upper arm, trying to remove as much of the saliva as possible.

Once on a leash, Dog was perfectly well-behaved. Hawke had taken him to obedience and agility training as a puppy. He knew it was extremely important to train large breed dogs early because once they were full-sized there would be no controlling them.

As they neared the park, Dog’s back end started that wiggle that was as close to a tail-wag as the nearly tailless dog could manage. He picked up speed and by the time they reached the entrance gate, Hawke was jogging to keep up. Taking Dog to the park was part of his exercise routine. That was one of the reasons to own a dog, right? They keep you active. Just another reason dogs were better than cats.

Once through the first gate, Hawke removed Dog’s leash. The park had a little dog park “foyer” which helped prevent escapees and allowed owners to remove leashes before they were surrounded by a dozen dogs. Hawke learned quickly that going into the main area with Dog’s leash still attached was a bad idea. He did not want a repeat of being tied up by a leash and knocked to the ground while multiple dogs jumped on him. That had left bruises.

There were only five other dogs in the park at that moment and they all raced to the gate. Hawke squished in behind Dog so he could shut the gate, but was effectively pinned against it until all the dogs had sniffed each other. After the greetings were concluded, Dog took off after an Irish Wolfhound named Archer. Hawke considered Archer to be Dog’s best pal – after himself of course – and had become friends with his owner, Sebastian.

“Hey ‘Bastian! How’s it going?” Hawke wandered over to the wood bench under the large maple tree. Sebastian looked up from his phone and grinned.

“Pretty good. Enjoying the lack of rain this week. I’m tired of cleaning mud off everything. It doesn’t seem to matter how well I wipe Archer down, I always miss some.” He looked over to where Archer and Dog were rolling in a pile of woodchips. “Sometimes I wonder what a Wolfhound would look like shaved…”

Hawke laughed as he settled in next to Sebastian. “Don’t do that him, it’ll be too embarrassing. All the other dogs will tease him.”

“Perhaps that would teach him to stay out of mud puddles.”

“Or he’ll spend more time in them just to spite you.” Hawke grinned.

Pandemonium broke out near the gate, heralding the arrival of another dog. The process of meet-and-greet commenced, the noise preventing any further conversation. This time it was a corgi named Eve who belonged to a slip of a girl with dark hair and huge eyes. Hawke seriously had no idea anyone could have eyes that large. Merrill, Eve’s owner, didn’t like separating Eve from the other dogs so always brought her into the large dog section instead of the small-dog-only area. Hawke was just waiting for the corgi to get crushed by Dog as they played. He waved Merrill over to join them.

Most of the dog owners were friends, even if just “dog park friends”. That was actually one of the reasons Hawke had started going to the dog park. He and Dog had been living in Kirkwall for a year and Hawke barely knew anyone. It only took a couple weeks of visiting the park before he’d become friends with Sebastian, and after only one meeting Merrill had invited Hawke to join her community garden. He hadn’t actually done that but it was sweet of her to offer. There were maybe five owners he was on a first-name basis with and it was nice knowing they all had at least one thing in common – a love of dogs.

He’d started hoping he’d find something more than friendship at the dog park. That was a thing, right? The movies certainly made it look like you could find your one true love at the dog park. He had gone on one date with the boisterous owner of something called a spitz. It hadn’t really worked out. Aside from sexual tension and a love of dogs, he didn’t actually have anything in common with Isabela.

Merrill and Sebastian were talking religion. _Again_. Sebastian was a strict Catholic while Merrill practised some pagan religion – Wicca? Druidism? Hawke didn’t exactly understand the nuances of pagan religions and he always zoned out when the two began theological debates.  He nodded and hummed as they spoke to acknowledge they were speaking, but his attention was elsewhere. He watched people as they walked by the park. He had a game where he assigned backstories and personalities to strangers to amuse himself.

That short girl with red hair? She was an engineer who created fanciful robots - mechanical dragons that could walk and breathe actual fire. The tanned blond with the tribal tattoo down one cheek? He had been an Interpol assassin before his cover was blown and now he was here in hiding.

Hawke loved creating elaborate backstories. The lanky blond walking his small dog along the perimeter of the dog park? Hawke decided he was an accomplished cardiac surgeon who travelled (with his dog) to third world countries to provide free life-saving surgery.

Mr Surgeon was talking to his dog. Hawke was too far away to hear what he was saying, but it made Hawke smile. He loved people who talked to their dogs like they were people. Hawke did it all the time; Dog was his confidant and best friend. Hawke tried to figure out what kind of dog Mr Surgeon was walking. It was small and had a copper-coloured coat like a chihuahua but it looked like it had a brindle pattern to its fur. He’d never seen a brindle chihuahua before; maybe it was a mutt?

As Hawke watched the man, Dog suddenly took off right toward him. He began barking excitedly and paced back-and-forth along the fence, following Mr Surgeon as he walked. Hawke was happy for the fence between them, as Dog probably weighed more than the tall blond.

“Dog! _Come_!” Hawke bellowed.

Dog ignored him.

Hawke frowned. It was unlike Dog to ignore him. Hawke ran up to the fence, grabbing Dog’s collar and hauling him back away. Apologizing as he crouched down to hold Dog in place.

“I’m so sorry about that. He’s normally so well behaved, I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” Hawke glanced up at Mr Surgeon and smiled.

Mr Surgeon smiled back, little wrinkles forming around dancing amber eyes. Hawke suddenly felt hot. There was this annoying fluttering sensation in his stomach and his chest felt tight. He could feel his smile widening into a grin without his permission. Mr Surgeon was incredibly _hot_.

“Don’t worry about it. Ser Pounce-a-lot has that effect on dogs.” Hawke was lost in the lovely, laughing sing-song voice and it took him a moment to register what was said.

“Ser Pounce-a-….” He blinked and looked over Dog’s head to the small, orangey animal attached to Mr Surgeon’s leash. A cat. It wasn’t a chihuahua at all – it was a _cat_.

_Who walks their cat? Who walks their cat next to a dog park?!_

Ser Pounce-a-lot seemed completely unfazed by Dog. In fact, Hawke got the distinct impression the cat was daring the mastiff to try to get him. Dog, in contrast, was vibrating with excitement.

“Ser Pounce-a-lot,” Mr Surgeon repeated, scooping the cat up and hugging him to his chest. “Pounce for short. He’s a super brave cat. Isn’t afraid of any of the dogs. Isn’t that right, Ser Pounce-a-lot?” The last sentence was said in a crooning voice normally reserved for talking to infants.

“Oh. Yes. _Very_ brave.” Hawke wasn’t sure what to say but he also couldn’t stop himself from speaking. His brain and his mouth didn’t seem to be connected anymore. He just needed Mr Surgeon to stay and talk to him. “This is Dog. He isn’t very brave. He’d probably run and hide if Pounce tried to smack him.”

“Well luckily Pounce is a very nice cat and he wouldn’t do that.” Mr Surgeon nuzzled the top of the cat’s head with his nose and murmured, “Would you? No, you wouldn’t.”

Hawke was suddenly picturing that nose and those full lips nuzzling against his neck. _Stop that_ , he admonished himself. The fluttering sensation was slowly becoming a burning heat pooling low in his abdomen.

“Despite appearances, Dog is a very nice dog.” _Eloquent Hawke, very eloquent_.

“Is his name really Dog?” Mr Surgeon’s voice was tinged with amusement. Hawke realized he really needed to get the man’s name so he could stop thinking of him as “Mr Surgeon”. He probably wasn’t even a doctor.

“Well his full name is War Dog Hawke, but it’s Dog for short.” At the look he was getting Hawke added, “I got him when I was in college and he reminded me of this dog companion from my favourite video game… so yeah. Dog.”  Hawke knew his grin was foolish and he was rambling, but his mouth and his brain still weren’t communicating.

“War Dog Hawk? Where does the Hawk part fit in?”

“I’m Hawke.” Hawke cleared his throat, standing and releasing Dog with a terse “Stay”. He held his hand over the fence. “Garrett Hawke. So, Hawke is my and Dog’s surname.”

“Right. A pleasure to meet you, Garrett,” Ser Pounce-a-lot was set back on the grass so Mr Surgeon could shake Hawke’s hand. Hawke’s skin tingled with the touch. The other man’s skin was smooth, no callouses to suggest manual labour or a love of weightlifting, unlike Hawke’s. “And a pleasure to meet you, Dog. I’m Anders. And you’ve already been introduced to Pounce.” They shook hands and Hawke was disappointed when Anders took his back.

“Pleasure is all mine,” _Really Hawke? That’s all you’ve got?_ “Dog obviously thought we should meet. Like a meet-cute from a movie.” _Wait… did you just say that?_

Anders’ smile softened but the twinkle didn’t leave his eyes. “A meet-cute, huh? So, you’re expecting this little encounter to lead to something more?” He looks Hawke up and down, does the same to Dog and then looks between Dog and Pounce. “I’m just not sure it would work out between you and I. It would be like mixing cats and dogs.”

Hawke could feel his heart drop. He was already so into this handsome, quirky cat man and he’d just learned his name.

“Don’t believe what the media tells you – cats and dogs can be great friends. Look at Milo and Otis!”

“Hm. You make a valid point.” Anders dug in the leather bag at his hip, pulling out what looked like a business card. “Maybe Pounce and Dog can have a more intimate playdate and we can see how they get along.” He scribbled on the back of the card and handed it to Hawke. “I need to get Pounce home before I head to work but call me later.”

“You can count on it.” Hawke was pretty sure the goofy grin was going to be stuck on his face for the rest of the day. “Have a good evening at work. Nice to meet you Pounce!”

“Have a good evening, Garrett.” Anders smiled before scooping Pounce up and walking toward the main road. Hawke watched him walk away until he’d turned a corner and the lovely sight was gone.

He looked down at the card. Anders had drawn a heart with a cat face in the centre next to his name. _In case I forgot he was the cat man?_ Hawke flipped the card over to see what it originally was and laughed as he read:

Dr Anders Rache, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery, Kirkwall General Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you don't read [ Tainted Love ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13377243/chapters/30636813) and were wondering, my choice for Anders' last name is the German word for Revenge. A nod to Justice/Vengence.
> 
> Can you name the two other people Hawke made backstories for?


	2. Casser des Oeufs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke encounters a barrier when it comes to arranging the "date" with Anders.

It had taken all of Hawke’s willpower not to text Anders the moment he’d gotten home from the dog park… who was he kidding, it took all his willpower not to text him the moment he was out of sight. But he’d managed. He’d resisted.

He thought perhaps the fluttering in his stomach would disappear if he slept.

It didn’t.

The next morning, Hawke sat at his kitchen table with the business card and stared at the phone number. His finger hovered over the numbers on his phone. After a moment of hesitation, he shoved the phone back into his pocket and picked up his newspaper. He continued to toy with the card, rolling it over his knuckles like a card shark at a poker game.

After five minutes he huffed and dropped the paper down on the table in disgust; he’d read the same paragraph six times. He got up from the little table and stomped over to the fridge. He grabbed a carton of eggs and then set a pan on the stove.

While the pan was heating, he cracked three eggs into a bowl and then whisked them. Hard. The eggs were frothing when he finally poured them into the pan. Not yet done abusing the innocent eggs, Hawke took a spatula and started pushing them roughly around the pan, chopping them into tiny pieces when they’d solidified.

Ten minutes later, Hawke sat back down at the kitchen table with a plate full of scrambled – massacred – eggs. Having thoroughly abused them during the cooking process, Hawke took a lighter touch with the cooked eggs. Not really even eating them, he just pushed them around the plate. He took an absentminded bite while staring, once again, at Anders’ personal number on the back of the card.

_How soon is too soon to call? Do people do playdates for their pets without any ulterior motives? Could he be straight and I’m reading into this? No. A dude who walks his cat and talks to him like a baby can’t possibly be straight…._

_Way to stereotype, Hawke._

“Ugh!” Hawke let his fork clatter to the plate and tossed the business card across the room. If it wasn’t right in front of him it wouldn’t be a temptation.

There was a tiny whine from next to Hawke’s chair. Dog had been watching Hawke’s antics. Hawke was pretty sure the mastiff was disgusted by his owner’s ridiculous behaviour; if a dog liked someone they just went up to them and stuck their nose in their ass. _Hm._ _I wonder how many dogs are gay_?

The thought of gay and asses once again brought Hawke’s mind to Anders. _For a skinny dude he has a pretty nice ass…_

“Really, Hawke?” Hawke snorted at himself and went to find the card he’d tossed. He’d seen it fly over the back of the sofa and land somewhere in the living room.

Maybe if he finally called Anders he’d be able to stop thinking about him.

 _Yeah right_.

Dog hopped up from his spot near the table and rushed ahead of Hawke. He could see the dog snuffling around the coffee table and his heart leapt into his throat.

“Dog, no!” Hawke rushed around the sofa to the sight he’d feared. Dog had the card in his mouth. It wasn’t destroyed – Dog wasn’t one to chew paper – but it was quickly soaking up slobber.

“Who’s a good boy? Give daddy the pretty man’s card…” Hawke walked in a crouch to be closer to Dog’s level. He held a hand out. Dog tilted his head to the right, one ear lifting. He didn’t seem inclined to drop his prize.

“Thank you for finding that for daddy. Now can I have it?” He grabbed the free edge of the card and gave it a gentle tug to encourage the dog to let go.

That was a miscalculation. The paper had absorbed more moisture than he’d realized and the card tore in half.

“God damnit!” Dog jumped back at Hawke’s explosion and the card disappeared from sight. Hawke gulped. “How about a treat? Puppy want a treat-y?”

Hawke rushed to the bookcase near the front door and grabbed the dog’s cookie jar, shaking it. Dog loped happily over and sat immediately at Hawke’s feet, tongue lolling. A tongue without any sign of paper. Hawke quickly delivered the treat and ducked around Dog to look hopefully at the living room carpet.

Nothing.

“Fuck.” Hawke flopped onto the sofa. He stared down at the half of the card clutched in his fist. The cat in the heart looked back at him. _Mocking_ him. The only part of the phone number remaining was the area code and an 8. Useless. Hawke tossed the scrap on the table and groaned.

“I know you’re not a big fan of cats but really, Dog? You were supposed to help me get laid not be a cockblock.”

Dog harrumphed at his name and wandered back into the living room. He settled next to Hawke and rested his chin on Hawke’s thigh, looking up at him with pleading eyes. As disappointed as he was, he couldn’t actually blame Dog. He reached behind his ear and gave it a good scratch.

“I’m sorry buddy. I know you didn’t mean to.” Hawked sighed, resting his head against the sofa back. “Maybe it’s fate… maybe the universe doesn’t want us together.” He continued petting Dog with slow strokes between his eyes. “Or maybe you just don’t.”

After a few minutes of pouting, Hawke’s listlessness and frustration were too much. He quickly changed into a pair of shorts and grabbed up Dog’s leash.

“Come on boy, time for a run.”  

Running had been Hawke’s drug of choice since high school. Whenever he needed to suppress an emotion or focus, he’d go for a run. After he got Dog in college, he’d become more consistent with his running. Dog loved runs and trying to keep up with the large dog forced Hawke to improve.

Most people stop running when they get that burn in their chests – Hawke pushed harder. He needed the burn and ache. Once he’d reached that point, he was able to ignore most of the outside world and focus internally. He had just reached that stage when a thought struck him.

And then the ground struck him. Or, more accurately, he struck it.

Coming to a sudden stop while running with a 190-pound dog essentially attached to your arm isn’t the best plan. Unadvisable really. Hawke had slammed on his brakes as he got his “Ah ha!” but Dog had not. Dog had continued loping down the sidewalk and Hawke was yanked off his feet.

Luckily, the fall tugged Dog’s leash enough that he realized something was wrong. He turned and ran back to the prone Hawke. Hawke was made aware of this when Dog snuffled his hair and nudge him with his nose.

“Now would be a really good time to have the number of a cute doctor.” Hawke groaned as he sat up. He examined the skin of his knees and shins. He plucked a rock from a small gash, flicking it onto the road. “This probably could have gone better, hey buddy?”

Dog attempted to clean Hawke’s wounds, which was thoughtful but a little gross. Pain shot up Hawke’s legs every time he moved – the slightest shift in muscles pulling at damaged skin. He pushed himself to his feet and began the slow process of limping home. At least he’d already turned to start jogging back home, meaning there was only another two-and-a-half or so miles to go.

Once he was home and cleaned up, Hawke settled in front of his computer to enact the plan he’d thought of while running. The one that better work considering all the pain he'd endured for it already.

“Doctor... Anders… Rache…” He typed into the search bar of his browser. He hadn't intended to stalk Anders’ internet presence but he’d realized it was likely the hospital would post his work number. Not as good as a cell number, but hey… it was that or actually physically stalking his workplace.

The first result was an entry on a doctor rating site. Curiosity always winning, he clicked in. The reviews were stellar. Anders had a 4.8 out of 5-star rating. Hawke scrolled through the comments and started feeling a bit inadequate. Hawke rarely had confidence issues but reading dozens of reviews on how amazing Anders was as a doctor made him uncomfortable. And warm. It was a confusing mix of emotions.

Before he lost all nerve, he went to Kirkwall General’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Division’s website. It didn’t help. The page listed the doctors in the department with pictures and small biographies. Anders was the only doctor who didn’t look like someone had died… _Maybe someone had died before the pictures were taken_ … Anders, in contrast, had a hint of a smile which lit up his eyes. There were a few wisps of rose gold hair loose to frame his face. Hawke felt the goofy grin from the day before returning. _Damn_.

He learned Anders was not only a surgeon. No. That wasn’t enough. He was also a faculty member at the local university – in surgery _and_ epidemiology. _When does he sleep?_

There was no direct line for the doctors but he was able to find a department number. He looked over at Dog and inhaled deeply before letting it out in a whoosh.

“Well… here goes nothing.” Hawke tapped the phone number and waited as it rang. And rang. And rang. He started to sweat and considered just hanging up. What right did he have calling Anders at work?

“Kirkwall General Cardiothoracic Surgery. If this is an emergency, hang up and call 9-1-1. If you know the extension of the person you wish to reach, type it in now followed by pound.” Hawke jiggled his leg, waiting for the recording to continue. “Press one for appointments. Press two for visiting hours. Press zero to reach the switchboard.” He hesitated, hand poised over the zero. The recording started to loop before he’d gathered the courage to press the screen.

The phone started ringing. Again. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until a voice said, “Kirkwall General Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jenny speaking, how may I help you?” The breath came out in a loud sigh and he started speaking, words jumbling together as he tried to get them out.

“Hi. Yes. Thanks. I am trying to get a hold of Doctor Anders Rache. He gave me his card but my dog ate it and I don’t know his extension.” He gasped in a breath when he’d finished – out of words and out of breath.

“Of course. I will transfer you. One moment please.”

And the ringing began again before Hawke could respond. His nerves were starting to fray.

“You have reached Doctor Anders Rache’s office. Phones are answered Monday to Friday between the hours of eight am and four pm. If this is an emergency, please hang up and call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room. To leave a message press one.”

Hawke groaned and hung up.  “Fuuuck. Stupid Sunday.” He dropped his head into his hands. 

 

* * *

 

Somehow the hours between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning were not enough to deter Hawke from trying again. This time when he was forwarded to Anders’ office, a cheerful woman’s voice answered, “Doctor Rache’s office, Lirene speaking, how may I help you?”

“Uh. Good morning, Lirene. Is Anders in at the moment?” _Yes. Use his first name to indicate you know him well._

“I’m sorry. He’s currently away from his desk. Can I take a message?”

“Do you know when he’ll be back? I’d rather not leave a message…” Hawke worried at his beard with his free hand, tugging absently.

“I’m sorry, I believe he’ll be out of the office for the rest of the day. If you want to leave your name, number, and your reason for calling I’ll make sure he gets it as soon as he gets in.”

“Oh.” Hawke stilled his fidgeting and slumped. “Sure. Thanks. Tell him Garrett called. 777-865-4982. That’s my cell number.”

"And what is this regarding?"

"Uh..." Hawke shifted the phone to the opposite ear and cleared his throat. "We were organizing a play date, but Dog ate his number."

"A..." Lirene hesitated, "Playdate? Did I hear that correctly?"

"Yes. For our pets. Not us." The words tumbled from his mouth and he gave a strained laugh. _Though I wouldn't say no to playing with Anders..._

“Okay." She sounded unsure and Hawke hoped she was professional enough to not just chuck his message in the bin as some crazy person calling. "I’ll let him know you called, Garrett. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No. No. Thank you Lirene.”

“Alright. Have a good day.”

“Thanks. Bye.” He dropped the phone on the table and mumbled. “Well, the ball’s in his court now. Guess we see if he was serious about getting together.”

The phone had only been on the table for a couple minutes before it buzzed across the glass. Hawke’s hand shot out immediately and he scooped it up. The logical part of his brain knew it couldn’t possibly be Anders but that part of his brain was overruled by the more primal, emotional parts. His fingers were tingly and his heart was in his throat as he looked at his screen and read:

 _Tomorrow only at Dennet’s Animal Clinic: 50% off all spay and neutering procedures_.

Hawke collapsed across the couch cushions and groaned. “Oh for fuck’s sake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end text is courtesy of my friend and beta Leif. 
> 
> Why did I decide to make this a multi-chapter piece? 
> 
> Next chapter - The Playdate!


	3. Pizza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke and Dog get invited over to Anders' place

Hawke was in the process of cutting vegetables when his phone buzzed. It had done that five times over the course of the day and every time Hawke’s heart leapt into his throat only to drop into his stomach when he discovered it wasn’t Anders. Hawke grabbed the cell phone to see who it was this time, braced for disappointment.

It was from a number he didn’t recognize and the message was nothing but emoticons. A dog face, paw prints, a man running, a car, a house, and a slice of pizza. Hawke stared at it a moment. It had to be Anders but he had no idea what he was trying to say. He finally gave up trying to translate the text and responded.

 **Hawke:** Anders? I don’t speak emoji so I have no idea what you’re saying.

While waiting for a more understandable response, Hawke wondered how the man who saved people’s lives every day and taught up-and-coming doctors could be the same person who sent all-emoji text messages.

 **Anders:** Lol! [smiling cat face emoticon].

 **Anders:** Sorry.  That was me asking you and Dog over for pizza.

Hawke’s face was split with a grin, the pain in his finger pushed to the back of his mind by the warmth in his chest. He glanced at the time displayed at the top of his phone and then his in-progress dinner prep.

 **Hawke:** Right now?

 **Anders:** It’s now or next Sunday. I might have time later in the week but it’s no guarantee. I know I have the time tonight. If you can’t make it, no problem. We can do it another time.

The thought of going another week without seeing Anders gave Hawke a sinking feeling low in his stomach.

 **Hawke:** Now’s good.

 **Hawke:** Well, not right this second. Give me an hour? What’s your address?

   

* * *

 

 

Just over an hour later, Hawke pulled up outside Anders’ townhouse, Dog shuffling and whimpering in the passenger seat.  

Hawke hopped out of the jeep and walked around to let Dog out of the passenger side. He quickly grabbed Dog’s collar and attached a leash before the mastiff could take off. Hawke stood outside the little black gate unable to bring himself to actually open it. Butterflies whooshed around his stomach.

“We can do this, can’t we boy?” Hawke looked down at Dog who woofed in response.

He hesitated again at the front door. _This is ridiculous_.  He glanced down at Dog, who sat patiently at his feet, before squaring his shoulders and knocking.

Time seemed to drag on forever. Hawke actually started to wonder if Anders had forgotten about him or given him the wrong address. _Maybe I should just go_ \-    

The door flew open and there was Anders, smiling at him.

That smile definitely did things to Hawke – warming, squishy things. The butterflies picked up their fluttering in his gut and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling back.

Hawke had to stop himself from laughing when he noticed Anders’ _All My Kids Have Paws_ t-shirt featuring a cartoon cat. He’d paired that with a soft-looking hoodie and blue jeans. Hawke wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t that. With Anders so casually dressed, Hawke once again wondered if he’d misinterpreted the invite.

Not that Hawke was dressed-up, but he felt he’d put more effort into his look. He’d chosen a white V-neck t-shirt under an open, red button-down paired with black jeans; everything carefully chosen to show off his physique.

“Garrett!” Before Hawke knew what was happening, Anders had wrapped Hawke in a tight hug. Hawke awkwardly returned the embrace with one arm, having to hold Dog’s leash with the other. He marvelled at how much of Anders’ waist he could cover with just the one arm.

“Uhm. Hi, Anders.” Hawke murmured against Anders’ cheek. He tried to ignore the warm, tingly sensation radiating from where Anders’ body pressed against his. It was a lingering hug, much longer than he'd give just a friend.

Hawke took a deep breath to tamp down the warmth pooling low in his stomach. He inhaled the scent of Anders’ shampoo – strawberries? – mixed with a more earthy, mossy smell which did nothing to cool his blood.

 Next to Hawke’s leg, Dog whined. Anders released Hawke with a laugh.

“Where are my manners?” Anders crouched down to be eye-level with Dog and reached out to scratch behind the mastiff’s ears. “Hi Dog. How are you tonight?”

“Probably a little jealous,” Hawke said feeling a touch jealous himself as he watched Anders enthusiastically pet Dog. Dog was clearly enjoying the attention, little tail-stub wagging as he licked Anders’ cheek.

Hawke hadn’t been sure what to expect when Anders met Dog without a fence between them. He had this image in his head of cat people who didn’t like dogs and certainly wouldn’t want them slobbering all over them. That’s why people got cats, right? Because they liked quiet, drool-free little assholes…

But Anders didn’t seem to mind the slobbering kisses, though he did raise one arm to fend them off while laughing.

When he’d managed to break away from the kisses, Anders glanced up at Hawke. The picture before him made his knees weak and his heart swell.

Seeing Anders so comfortable and loving with Dog gave him hope for a future he really should have even been thinking about. Seeing Anders kneeling on the ground in front of him, amber eyes peering through lashes and cheeks flushed from laughing gave him an entirely different, more primal feeling. A feeling he tried hard to force to the back of his mind before he did something impulsive.

“Why would Dog be jealous?” Anders asked as he stood and brushed dirt from his knees.

“He’s gotten used to being the only man in my life, isn’t that right, boy?” Hawke said without thinking and groaned internally. _Way to scream I’ve been single and pathetic for a long time. I should have “Desperate” tattooed across my forehead._

Anders laughed, patting Dog on the head one last time as he said, “Well I’m sure we can figure out a way to share,” and winked at Hawke. “But again, I’m forgetting my manners. Come in. Come in.”

He stepped back into the little foyer, giving Hawke space to enter and shut the door.

“Do you mind?” Hawke gestured at Dog’s leash and Anders shook his head.

“Of course not. The idea is for you to both feel at home,” Ander said.  “Last I saw him, Pounce was napping on my bed upstairs so there shouldn’t be any issues while Dog investigates.”

“Great.” Hawke turned to Dog and unhooked the leash. Dog remained where he was while Hawke slipped off his shoes and started following Anders into the house.

“I was just about to put the pizza in but perhaps I should wait until Dog gets settled. Can I get you a drink?” Anders led them into the kitchen. It was larger than Hawke expected given the size of the townhouse.

“Water is fine, thank you,” Hawke said as he looked around the room. He wanted to keep a clear head and that was hard enough with Anders around without adding alcohol to the mix.

Dog wandered around the kitchen, nose to the ground. He did the perimeter and then walked over and started sniffing Anders’ pant legs, nose pressed close against his leg. Anders walked over to Hawke with the water and dog followed, nearly getting kicked in the jaw by accident.

“Dog, come away,” Hawke said, putting his hand down at his side and snapping his fingers. “Sorry about that.” He smiled sheepishly at Anders.

“He just smells Ser Pounce-a-lot. You can’t really blame him.” Anders handed the water over and Hawke’s fingers brushed Anders’ knuckles as he reached to take it. Anders didn’t seem to notice but Hawke quickly took a drink to give him an excuse to swallow the butterflies back into his stomach where they’d taken up permanent residence since the dog park.

“He should know better. Look, your pants are covered in slobber.” Hawke frowned down at Anders’ pant leg and then give Dog a withering look, which the mastiff ignored in favour of following a new scent trail into the living room. “How pet proof if your place? Should I follow him?”

“How are Dog’s manners?” Anders asked in response, smirking at Hawke.

“Well… He is allowed on the couch at my place. And the bed. And pretty much anywhere else he can get his large ass on. But if you’d rather he not go on the furniture –“

Anders cut Hawke off with a laugh, “Because I don’t want pet hair on my stuff? That would be pretty silly considering I have a cat.”

“I suppose.” Hawke glanced nervously over his shoulder, expecting a horrible crash at any moment.

“It’ll be fine. There’s nothing in there I can’t replace.” Anders smiled at Hawke, which didn’t alleviate the concern. Instead, it made it worse. He needed to make a good impression and bringing a giant, lumbering idiot into the mix wasn’t necessarily the best way to do that.

“Since he seems to be settling in, how about I put the pizza in so we can eat? Are you hungry?” Anders asked, walking back across the kitchen to slide the pizza into the oven.

“I’m always hungry.” Hawke’s stomach rumbled to emphasize the point.

“So am I. Though you’d never know it to look at me. I can’t seem to put a pound on no matter how much I eat.” Anders patted his stomach and grinned. “Which just means I can eat whatever I want.”

“Watch it. That’ll catch up to you one day.” Hawke said and then groaned internally.

_Really? You essentially just told him he’s going to get fat. Smooth Hawke._

“Not that you’d look bad with a little extra weight.” Hawke once again seemed to have lost control over what was coming out of his mouth.

 _Wait… now it sounds like you don’t like how he looks now. Fuck_.

“You’d look amazing no matter what,” Hawke said with complete sincerity.

_Good save, Hawke. But a little obvious._

Hawke actually groaned this time and put his head down on the counter. He could hear Anders laughing quietly but refused to look up. He could feel the heat of a blush and was sure his face was beet red.

“Thank you. I think you’d look good no matter what as well.” Anders murmured right against Hawke’s ear. “Though I’m very much enjoying how you look right now.”

Hawke hadn’t heard Anders walk across the kitchen, too lost in mentally berating himself for being more awkward than he’d been as a teenager. The delightful mix of Anders’ voice and his breath moving the hair on Hawke’s neck made him shiver. And did nothing for his blush. He peeked over the edge of his forearm, finding Anders’ face still just inches from his.

Anders’ eyes twinkled and he wore a tiny, crooked smile. Before Hawke had time to decipher that look, Anders had leaned in and lightly brushed his lips over Hawke’s. He didn’t linger, kissing Hawke and then stepping back toward the oven. It was barely a kiss but Hawke’s whole body suddenly felt like it was on fire.

 _Well, no misinterpreting any of that._ Hawke felt lightheaded and grinned at Anders’ back. He was so wrapped up in the lingering feeling of Anders’ lips on his that he missed the first hiss. He only realized something was off because Anders turned, concern written across his face.

The hiss may not have penetrated Hawke’s puppy-dog love fog, but the deep barked followed by another hiss did.

“I guess Ser Pounce-a-lot is awake,” Anders said as Hawke was already rushing in the direction of the living room as fast as his sock feet could carry him. Hawke slid around the door jam in time to see Ser Pounce-a-lot leap from the back of a chair to the fireplace mantle. He was puffed up to twice the size Hawke remembered from the dog park.

“So much for not being afraid of dogs…” Hawke grumbled before commanding, “Dog, sit.”

Dog was too excited by his new friend to listen. He paced in front of the fireplace, whimpering and barking. Pounce responded with more hisses and a growl.

“Dog!” Hawke’s raised voice made the dog turn, tail-nub wagging as if to say “Dad, look! Friend!”. Hawke sighed, rushing over to grab Dog’s collar. The mastiff resisted being moved away. Hawke’s sock feet couldn’t get purchased on the hardwood floor and when Dog jumped to try and stand against the fireplace. Hawke lost his balance, nearly crashing through Anders’ coffee table.

Anders’ living room looked more like a lawyer’s study – books, artwork and statuary. Dangerous statuary that Pounce seemed determined to use to take out Dog.

There wasn’t enough space on the mantle for the agitated cat and the statue that had pride of place in the centre, and Hawke dove to catch it before it could hit Dog or break on the floor.

“Fuck!” Hawke dropped to a knee, the metal figure clutched to his chest.

“Garrett? Are you okay?” Anders asked from the doorway.

“I’ve been stabbed!” Hawke said incredulously. He looked down at the statue of Lady Justice, her raised sword caught in his shirt; the white fabric slowly turning red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously... poor Hawke. Why can't I write something that doesn't involve someone being injured or sick or sad? It's a good thing there's a doctor around.


	4. Aftermath of Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anders tends to Hawke and the evening progresses a little more smoothly. A little.

“I’ve been stabbed!” Hawke said incredulously. He looked down at the statue of Lady Justice, her raised sword caught in his shirt; the white fabric slowly turning red.

“What?” Anders rushed over and knelt on the floor next to Hawke. He reached out to take the statue, having to force Hawke to let go. He set the statue on the floor and leaned in to peer at Hawke’s chest. “It doesn’t look too bad, but we should probably clean it up and throw a bandage over it until it stops bleeding.” He stuck a finger under the edge of the tear in the fabric and said with a smirk, “I think your shirt is a lost cause though. Guess you’ll just have to go without.”

“Yes, it – What?” Hawke blinked as the words and tone sunk into his seemingly permanently addled brain. He was saved from having to properly respond when Dog nudged his elbow and whimpered. “I’m okay boy. But you owe me for saving you. _Be nice_ to Pounce.” He gave Dog a scratch behind the ear before allowing Anders to help him stand.

“And you stop trying to murder our guests,” Anders said to Pounce, pointing a long finger, “it is _very bad_ manners, mister.”

Pounce sat in the middle of the mantle, almost exactly where the statue had been and blinked at Anders. He began cleaning a paw as if to say, “I didn’t do anything”. Anders huffed at him before hooking an arm around Hawke’s and guiding him out of the living room.

Anders took Hawke to the bathroom and had him sit on the toilet seat. Dog attempted to follow but Anders shut the door to keep him out. The bathroom was a bit too small for two grown men and a mastiff. Hawke could hear him whimper outside the door.

Hawke slipped off his button-down and pulled off the t-shirt with a wince. He tried not to think about the fact that the first time Anders was seeing him shirtless was after he’d stabbed himself with a statue. _You're not acing the first impressions, Hawke._

As Anders ran a finger through Hawke’s chest hair, moving it away from the wound, he said, “I do like a man who willingly puts himself in harm's way for the sake of Justice." He looked up into Hawke’s face with a grin.

Hawke snorted at the line even as he could feel a flush that reached his ears. “That’s me. Nothing can stop me stepping between the innocent and potential harm.”

“Very much the dashing champion,” Anders trailed the finger further up Hawke’s chest, lifting it as he reached his collarbone. Hawke shivered at the touch, swallowing so hard he thought Anders could hear it. Anders turned to the sink, grabbing a cloth and wetting it before turning back.

“Why do you have a statue of Justice, anyhow? You’re a doctor...” Hawke asked, talking to take his focus away from Anders’ hand gently wiping away blood with a damp cloth.

“Why does that mean I can’t have a statue of Justice?” Anders sounded slightly offended.

"Well, it – uh- doesn't?" Hawke stumbled through the words until he noticed Anders smirking at him.

“I was quite active in social justice clubs when I was an undergrad. We’d protest and stage demonstrations. I even got arrested a couple times. That statue was a gift from a friend to commemorate a particularly...heated... demonstration.”

 _Arrested?_ Hawke had trouble picturing Anders being in jail; adorable, cat-shirt-wearing, cat-walking, _doctor_ Anders in jail.

“So… so much for being able to replace anything in the living room?” Hawke said.

Anders shrugged. “I think the statue could do more harm to you or the floor than could be done to it.”

"As we just learned," Hawke laughed.

"I don't think...Would you be okay if I..." Anders snorted, staring at Hawke's chest a moment, lips pursed. "I don't think the bandage is going to stick very well given your...extensive chest hair. Either we go without a bandage or... we need to shave part of your chest."

"Shave?" Hawke laughed, looking at his chest. "It isn't really bleeding much anymore, maybe I could just take your suggestion of going shirtless until it scabs over? No bandage, no shaving... no horribly painful bandage removal tomorrow morning?"

"Mmm." Anders hummed, hand hovering over Hawke's chest. "That might be a tad... distracting. But I'm not going to complain."

“That almost sounded like a complaint,” Hawke said as he scooped up the button-up shirt so he could at least pretend he had some modesty. He slipped it back on, leaving it open at the front. The way Anders was eyeing him made him feel self-conscious and bold at the same time. It was an unusual feeling. Hawke focused in on the latter emotion and grabbed Anders’ wrist, tugging him onto Hawke’s lap.

“Oh,” Anders grunted softly as he landed but didn’t resist. Instead, he wiggled just enough that Hawke caught his breath. Hawke released the wrist and wrapped the arm around Anders’ waist, pull them closer together.

“If I’m going to be a distraction, I might as well be a good one.” Hawke slid his free hand up Anders’ neck and pressed against the back of his head until he leaned forward. Hawke brushed his lips lightly over Anders’, soft and tentative. He paused to gauge Anders’ reaction, lips hovering just out of reach. Anders sat perfectly still, eyes closed and a hand resting on Hawke’s shoulder.

With no obvious reaction in either direction, Hawke loosened his grip.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep – Mrmph.”

Further apologies were cut off by Anders pressing his lips tightly to Hawke’s. Hawke relaxed, crushing Anders against him… and grunted.

“Shit. Sorry,” Anders said, pushing off Hawke’s lap. “We should be a bit more gentle. Oh.” He glanced down at his shirt, finger lifting to touch a spot of blood in the middle of the cartoon cat’s face. “Now we’ve both ruined a shit. I think we’re even?”

“Hm. Not quite. You’re still wearing your shirt.” Hawke grinned.

“Well, it isn’t exactly safe to cook without a shirt…Double shit! The pizza!” Anders spun, pulling the bathroom door open. As he barrelled through the door, he nearly tripped over Dog. The mastiff had stretched out in front of the door, pressed as close as he could get. He didn’t do well when separated from Hawke.  

Hawke sat on the toilet seat, blinking after Anders. It took a moment for his brain to get into gear and by the time he reached the kitchen, Anders had pulled the pizza from the oven. There was the stench of burnt crust and there was a slight haze to the air. Hawke looked at the pan in Anders’ mitted hand – it was unsalvageable.

There was a warning beep before the smoke detector started going off. More swearing from Anders as he rushed to a panel on the wall. “If I don’t stop this in a certain amount of time, the security company automatically sends the fire department.”

“Well hurry up and see to that…If the fire department comes and finds me here... uh, it would be awkward,” Hawke shouted over the beeping of the alarm. Before Anders could get the alarm silenced, Dog started howling. He sat next to Hawke, head tilted back and let out a long, deep, mournful sound. “Not now, Dog! It’s fine. You can stop. We’re safe.” Hawke crouched down to cover Dog’s ears in the hopes it would stop the howling. It didn’t.

The beeping halted but Dog kept howling. “For the love of… Dog!” Hawke said in a terse voice. He wasn’t angry, just needed to get through the Dog’s own howling. The howling cut off with a tiny whimper and Dog skulked off to flop in the doorway.

When Hawke looked back at Anders, he was staring at the ruined pizza, a wrinkle between his brows. “I’m sorry, Garrett. So much for me wooing you with my cooking skills.” He set the pan on the counter and ran his uncovered hand through his hair.

“While I won’t deny food is definitely one way to my heart…” Hawke wandered over and wrapped his arm around Anders’ waist. He set his chin on Anders’ shoulder, lips brushing Anders’ jaw as he spoke, “You’d already wormed your way in there at the park. No need to impress me with food.”

Anders scoffed, turning his head to place a light kiss on Hawke’s cheek. “So… what’s your favourite take-out?” He said with a grin.

Hawke turned Anders in his arms so they were face-to-face. He hummed quietly in his throat, leaning in to nuzzle Anders’ cheek. Anders laughed and pushed Hawke back.

“Ow! Beard burn!” Anders laughed, reaching up to scratch at Hawke’s beard. “Not distractions. Food.” He tapped Hawke on the nose and walked over to a drawer, pulling out a stack of take-out menus. Hawke blinked and snorted a laugh.

“Get take out often, do you?” He asked.

“I am often too tired to cook after I get home from work. Plus, there’s always enough leftovers to take for lunch the next day. Win-win.” Anders tossed the stack of paper on the counter in front of Hawke. “So? Thoughts?”

“Something spicy?” Hawke peered at the menus, flipping through. He pulled out two: an Indian restaurant and a Thai restaurant. “Curry?”

Anders crinkled his nose and snatched the Thai menu from Hawke’s hand. “Hm. If you want…” Anders smirked at Hawke and said, “But curry is not make-out friendly food.”

“It is if we both eat it.” Hawke countered.

“You’ve clearly thought that through.” Anders pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled the restaurant. He ordered more than enough food for two people, even two large men: two curry dishes, lemongrass chicken, rice, some rolls things with tofu, and a mango salad. When he hung up, Hawke laughed.

“You weren’t kidding about being able to eat. I don’t think we’ll be able to finish all that.”

“That would give me leftovers for the rest of the week.” Anders shrugged, sliding the menus back into their drawer. “Should be here in about forty minutes.”

“Hm. Forty minutes. Whatever shall we do to fill the time?” Since the bathroom, Hawke had relaxed and felt more like his usual bold self. The nerves had floated away the moment Anders kissed him – it was pretty hard to misinterpret that. He wrapped his arms around Anders’ waist, pulling him close.

“I can think of a few things…” Anders ran a finger along Hawke’s bare chest, avoiding the gash. “Such as…Telling me why the fire department shouldn’t find you here?” He arched an eyebrow and bopped him on the nose again.

“Oh. Uh.” Hawke laughed. “I have a bit of a reputation.”

“With… the fire department? How that even happen? Should I be concerned?” Ander leaned back in Hawke’s arms to look at him, eyes narrowed. He didn’t attempt to get out of the embrace, which Hawke took as a good sign.

“It’s a long story,” Hawke said, leaning in for a kiss.

“Oh no you don’t.” Anders did wiggle free this time. “We have forty minutes until food arrives. I think now is the time to get to know each other.” When Hawke gave him a grin, Anders added, “Not like that. You know what I meant.”

Hawke sighed. “Fine. Can we at least sit somewhere comfortable for this?”

“That bad, eh?” Anders smiled, grabbing Hawke’s hand and leading him to the living room… or the scene of the crime as Hawke thought of it as he walked in. Pounce had disappeared from his perch, probably hiding due to the smoke alarm. Anders sat first, pulling Hawke down next to him on the plush, microsuede couch. He waited a moment and when Hawke didn’t offer any information, he nudged Hawke’s shoulder lightly with his own. “Well?”

“Okay…It really isn’t as bad as it sounds. Promise. I just…” Hawke paused to consider, pulling out his phone. He pulled up a video and turned the phone toward Anders as it played. He talked as Anders watched Hawke and two other men set a car on fire. “My buddies and I have this video blog where we test out urban legends. You know… will a microwave blow up because your teacup has gold on the rim? Are there crocodiles in the sewers? If you shoot a car in the gas tank will it really explode like it does in the movies?”

There was a lot of swearing and laughing in the video and then sirens. A lot of sirens. The screen faded to black just as an exasperated woman’s voice said, “Again Hawke? You know you’re supposed to have us on standby for this kind of shit!”

Anders’ face had remained placid as he watched the video, the only reaction a small twitch at the corner of his mouth. If he hadn’t been watching so closely, Hawke would have missed it. After a moment, Anders began laughing; a deep, belly laugh.

“Well,” he said between laughing breathes, “I guess it’s good you know an excellent doctor.”

That moment Hawke felt all the air leave him as a goofy grin broke out across his face. He’d been concerned some as reckless and ridiculous as Hawke’s vlog would scare off the upstanding, educated doctor. Why would someone like Anders want to be with a goof like Hawke? Hawke reached out and gathered Anders into his lap. Without a word, be pulled him into a deep kiss.

It took a moment for Anders to respond, clearly caught off guard. When he did, he pressed Hawke back into the couch. Hawke used an elbow to balance as he lowered himself and Anders to lay across the cushions, tangling his hand in the hair at Anders’ nape.

As they settled together, Anders shifted to press his body against Hawke’s. He used one hand on Hawke’s chest to keep from pressing on his wound but still…

“Ow!” Hawke grunted and shift, spreading his legs so Anders’ bony ones fell between. Anders squinted at Hawke.

“I know for a fact I didn’t touch your chest wound. So what is it this time?”

Hawke flushed and looked sheepish. “My legs. I – uh… Had an accident involving pavement.”

“During one of your videos?” Anders eyed him. Hawke snorted.

“Nothing so interesting. No. Dog and I were jogging, and I made the silly decision to stop running… and Dog kept going.” Hawke smirked. “Pavement can do some real damage on bare knees and shins. Quite painful. And quite embarrassing.” Hawke pressed up to kiss Anders gently. “Which seems to be what I’m best at. I’m a giant, walking embarrassment.”

Anders smiled but it didn’t completely reach his eyes. He sat back on his heels, careful not to put weight on Hawke’s legs. “Did you clean the abrasions out? Who knows what got into those wounds. Maybe I should take a look…” Anders shuffled off the couch before Hawke could grab him

“Are you trying to get into my pants, Doctor Rache?” Hawke pushed up to lounge against the arm of the couch and grinned.

“Mmm.” Anders hummed, tapping a finger against his chin as he considered Hawke. “It would only be to ensure your good health.”

“Oh I’m sure,” Hawke drawled, swiping out a hand to pull Anders back down onto the couch.

 ** _Ding_** **_Ding_**.

Suddenly Dog was barking and racing through the house to the front door. Hawke groaned, throwing his arm over his face. _Every time we get close…_

 Hawke went to answer the door while Anders fetched his wallet. Dog was jumping up at the door and barking.

“Dog! Sit!” Hawke grabbed the leash from the console in the entrance way, hooking it to Dog’s collar _just in case_. Anders arrived right after Hake opened the door, much to Hawke’s relief, so he was able to drag Dog back away. Dog kept pulling. “Do you need to go to the potty? Hungry?” Dog stopped pulling and tilted his head at Hawke. “Hungry?” Dog woofed.

“Can he have some of the chicken?” Anders asked as he shut the door with his foot, balancing the paper bag of containers.

“Allergic.” Hawke frowned, unlatching the leash from Dog’s collar. Lucky, Dog did not immediately run and jump on Anders as Hawke had feared, but he did follow close to Anders’ heels as he walked to the kitchen.

“Too bad. I can see if there’s something in the fridge?” Anders started unpacking the containers on the kitchen island. Hawke took the bag from him, forcing him away.

“That’s fine. He’ll live until we get home.” Hawke finished unpacking and opening the food while Anders fetched proper plates and utensils.

“So, no staying the night? Pity.” Anders leaned in to kiss Hawke’s cheek before sitting on one of the kitchen stools and dishing out food. “I had so many plans.”

“Uhm,” Hawke spluttered, spilling rice. “Maybe, next time?”

Anders just winked and started eating. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much dialogue. Woosh.   
> Dog is the ultimate cockblock. He also helps me keep this rated T. Thanks Dog!
> 
> The whole Justice thing is thanks to my friend and beta... as is Hawke having a rep with the fire department (though the reason for that rep is all me. Hawke, Varric and Fenris as bootleg MythBusters!.... why does Anders like this dweeb?)
> 
> I was going to wait to post until tomorrow or after but I fought so hard with this chapter so when it was finished I just had to post.


	5. Limbo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Saturday, another trip to dog park. Hawke gets a nudge he needs from a friend.

Hawke wandered around in a daze for the rest of the week following the near-disaster of the playdate. He felt like he wasn’t accomplishing anything. He’d go to do something and then look down at his watch and realize he’d spent ten minutes staring off into space thinking of Anders kissing him. Or Anders’ arms around him…

They’d texted in the mornings and the evenings and even chatted on the phone a few times, but it wasn’t enough. By Saturday, Hawke felt wound tight as a top as he hooked Dog up to his leash and set off to the dog park.  

The dog park was mostly empty when they arrived. Hawke looked around, grinning as he thought of his meeting with Anders the previous weekend. That first glimpse of the handsome, lanky blond walking his cat.

“Hoy! Hawke! Where’s your mind at? Thinking of a pretty girl?” A familiar voice called from the small dog area. Hawke blinked away the daydream and looked over. He spotted Fenris, leaning against the thick wooden fence post.

“Something like that,” Hawke called back, walking over to the dividing fence. Dog loped along beside him.  

“What’s her name?” Fenris asked with a small smirk.

“Anders,” Hawke replied with a wink. Fenris blinked at him before smiling and clapping him on the shoulder.

“And how’d you meet your Prince? Did he buy one of your horrid pieces of furniture?”

Hawke huffed and rolled his eyes. “You know you love my work. And no. We met here actually.”

“Oh! Another dog person! Hopefully, this one works out better than your last one. I like Isabela but…

“But she’s a bit too dramatic?” Hawke finished.

“Precisely.” Fenris nodded. “Well, at least you know you have something in common. “

“Well… not exactly. He’s actually more of a…” Hawke cleared his throat and started to mumble, “… cat person.”

Fenris snorted. “Cat? You met a cat person at the dog park? What was he doing? Walking his cat?” Fenris laughed and Hawke blushed red.

“Yes, actually,” Hawke responded, deadpan. Fenris immediately stopped laughing and raised an eyebrow at Hawke.

“You have got to be joking,” he said. When Hawke shook his head, grin returning, Fenris puffed out a breath and chuckled. “Sounds the perfect level of crazy for you, Hawke.”

“Right? Oh, I can’t wait for you meet him! He’s the most adorable person. Smart, funny, handsome, caring. And…” Hawke held up a finger, “ And… He’s a doctor. Every mom’s dream.”

“Though not if she was hoping for biological grandchildren.” Fenris countered.

“Psh. Small detail. Mother won’t care as long as there are grandkids. Who cares if they have my genetics?”

“It is probably better for them if they don’t have your genetics,” Fenris stated flatly.

“Bite me.” Hawke shot back and stuck his tongue out. Because that’s what adults do.

“Not my kink, Hawke. Ask cat-boy.” Fenris crouched down and scooped up a little caramel-coloured chihuahua wearing a black leather collar. “Say hello to uncle Hawke, Geri.” Fenris held the little dog out so Hawke could give him a scratch behind the ear. Geri snapped at Hawke, which Fenris and Hawke both laughed at.  

“Nice to see you again too, Geri,” Hawke said and kept scratching, keeping his fingers just out of the reach of teeth. Hawke’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he removed his hand from the danger of tiny dog teeth to pull it out. He glanced at the text and sighed. The phone quickly disappeared back into his jeans pocket.

“Not cat-boy? When are you seeing him again?” Fenris settled Geri into one arm so he could pet the dog with the other.

“I don’t know. He’s so busy and I don’t want to see cloying.” Hawke fussed at his beard and looked away from Fenris as he spoke – ostensibly to look for Dog. At least that’s what he told himself.

He looked back when he heard Fenris sigh and say “Hawke,” in an exasperated tone.

“What?” Hawke blinked at him.

“Ask. Him. Out.”

“But what if –“ Hawke was cut off when Fenris held up a finger.

“No. No “what if”. Any “what if” will be answered when you _Ask. Him. Out_.” Fenris emphasised the words be shaking his finger at Hawke.

“But –“ Hawke raised his hands when Fenris sighed again. “Hear me out. But what will we do?”

Fenris arched a brow at Hawke.

Hawke groaned and covered his face with his hands. “I’m hopeless. I just… It’s been so long since I’ve dated a _man_. I don’t remember the protocol. I don’t know if Anders is out. I think he must be, but what if he isn’t and that’s why he invited me over to his place for a playdate with the pets instead of out on a proper date?”

“ _Hawke_. Just stop. _Call_ him. Or text him. Whatever. Just ask him out. Go to dinner. Talk. Like a normal person. It will be _fine_.” Fenris huffed and set Geri down on the ground. “Look, if you want to go out and be public with this and he doesn’t, that will ultimately be an issue. So find out and address it now.”

“Fine. You’re right,” Hawke grumbled.

“What was that?” Fenris asked.

“You are right. I’ll text him later.” Hawke turned to again look at what Dog was up to. The mastiff was happily wrestling with a German shepherd that Hawke didn’t recognize.

“Not later. _Now_.”

“Ugh. Fine, Fen,” Hawke sighed and pulled his phone back out. He made a show of tapping the screen to the stream of text messages with Anders. He practically smashed his finger on the screen to make sure Fenris could see he was typing a message.

 **Hawke:** Hey, sweetie. Do you have plans tonight? Or tomorrow?

“There,” Hawke said and put his phone away. He suspected Anders would be busy on a Saturday morning and there was no point in worrying over the phone waiting for a reply.

“Feel better?” Fenris asked and offered a tiny smile.

“Not really. Maybe once he replies.” Hawke shrugged a called Dog over. “I think I’ll head home. I suddenly feel like having a beer.”

“It’s only eleven, Hawke,” Fenris said but with no judgement to his tone.

“Do you want to come over and have one with me, then?” Hawke grinned.

“Maybe next time. Geri and I have to go get groceries.”

“Fine. I’ll drink one for you.”

“ _Hawke_ ,” Fenris groaned and Hawke laughed.

“Kidding. Only one beer before noon when it isn’t a holiday. I know the rules of polite society.”

“You most certainly do not.” Fenris snorted. “Go home, Hawke. Have that beer. I can’t stand to look at that puppy-dog expression any longer.”

Dog was still playing with the shepherd when Hawke called him over. It took three tries but eventually, the mastiff listened. Hawke hooked the leash on and then gave Fenris a wide grin.

“Wish me luck!”

“Good luck. I have a feeling you will need it,” Fenris said dryly. To which Hawke, once again, stuck his tongue out.

The walk back home seemed to take an eternity. Hawke started planning the date before even hearing back from Anders as to whether there was going to be a date. By the time he got home, he’d decided on the restaurant – a local, sustainably sourced, tip-to-tail place he thought Anders would appreciate. That’s the type of place social justice people liked, wasn’t it? He started planning his outfit as he grabbed a beer from the fridge. Beer was made from carbs, that made it count as lunch, right?

He was mentally going through his wardrobe when his phone buzzed. Heart in his throat – where it was spending a lot of time lately – Hawke fished it from his pocket.

 **Anders:** I find myself free tonight. What were you thinking?

 **Hawke:** I know a great little restaurant not far from your place. I wondered if you wanted to go with me? No pressure. We can stay in if you’d rather.

_Right, Hawke. Give the man an out before he’s even responded._

**Anders:** I’d love to! How’s 7 pm?

 **Hawke:** 7 is perfect. I’ll pick you up at your place.

 **Anders:** Don’t forget to put lots of food out for Dog before you leave. ;)

 _What?_ Hawke stared at the screen a moment, confused. Then he remembered having to leave last time because of Dog. _But, someone would still need to walk him_ … Hawke considered asking his neighbour to pop by and let Dog out before bed. Or Fenris… maybe he would ask Fenris since this was his fault.

 **Hawke:** Yes, serah. As you wish.

Hawke snickered at himself for that one. Ever since his ex had made him watch The Princess Bride he’d wanted to use that line.

 **Anders:** See you at 7. <3

 **Hawke:** Can’t wait.

He sent a quick text to Fenris telling him he was needed to walk Dog later that night and received a thumbs-up emoticon in response. Already having decided on an outfit, Hawke downed his beer and went to make sure everything was clean and wrinkle-free. He only had six hours to get ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. Sorry about that. But Date Night will be worth it. ;)
> 
> Updating may be a tiny bit erratic for the next couple chapters, so if you're following along but not subscribed I'd advise subscribing to ensure you know when a new chapter is posted.


	6. The Real Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke takes Anders out for a proper, sit-down-at-a-restaurant date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I failed to post ~ six lines at the end of the last chapter. Fingers got away from me and I didn't realize it. So if you read last chapter before this one was posted... you might want to go back. Nothing _major_ was missed, but still. Don't mind me. I'm a dork.

It felt odd arriving outside Anders’ townhouse without Dog at his side. Hawke had walked this night, partially to work off nerves and partially so he could drink without worrying about driving home. He hoped a couple drinks at dinner would help prevent the disaster that was the last time. A couple of drinks and being out in public.

Hawke ran his fingers through his hair and then his beard, teasing out all the knots before he knocked on the door. He fidgeted with the cuffs of his dress-shirt while he waited for the door to open. He was looking down at his feet, wondering if he should have polished his shoes when the door finally opened.

It wasn’t Anders standing on the other side.

Standing in the doorway was the largest man Hawke had ever seen. Taller than Hawke by nearly a foot, broader by probably the same amount, and muscled. So much muscle… and skin.

Too much skin.

Hawke had no choice but to draw his eyes up from the man’s shins to his face, meaning he got a full view of the man. He was naked. Well, not _completely_ naked. He as covering himself with a towel. Unfortunately, the towel left very little to the imagination. Hawke’s mind spun trying to figure out what was going on and he latched on to the one thing that made sense.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Hawke said, taking a step back. “I must have the wrong house.” He backed down the first step before turning to flee.

“Hey! Garrett, right? Anders is just getting ready. Come on in and have a seat.” The giant, naked man said.

It took a moment for the words to register. Hawke froze on the little walk between the street and Anders’ front door. He turned and made a show of looking at the house number.

“Oh. So, this is the right place. Sorry. I...wasn't expecting Anders to have company." Hawke tried really hard to ensure there was no jealousy seeping into his voice.

The man looked at Hawke in such a way that Hawke was sure he could read his thoughts. The most unnerving part about that was that he was able to do it with only one eye. His left eye was covered with a pink eye patch. _Pink_. After a moment, the man grinned and barked out a laugh.

"Neither was Anders. Sorry to make your date awkward." He clapped Hawke on the shoulder as Hawke went through the door, nearly knocking Hawke over in the process. "Last minute house guest."

Hawk grunted in acknowledgement, brain still spinning in an attempt to figure out why, unexpected house guest or not, the guy would answer Anders' door in nothing but a towel. None of the explanations fit.

"I'm Hissrad," He held out a hand. Hawke took it and for once in his life, his hand was engulfed. "Though most call me the Iron Bull or just Bull."

_Iron Bull. Sounds like a wrestling name... also it really suits him. Not sure who would win in a fight, Hissard or an actual bull._

"Nice to meet you, Bull," Hawke said and shook the Bulls hand.

Despite what he'd been expecting, Bull didn't try to dominate the interaction. Instead, he matched Hawke's grip. And Hawke had the good sense not to start a grip competition with someone who could probably crush his hand without a second thought.

They stood awkwardly in the foyer of Anders' townhouse, staring at each other.

"Uh... So, why are you -"

"Bull! What have I said about wearing pants?" Anders said, appearing at the end of the of the little hallway.

"I should wear them at all times in the common areas?" Bull replied, grinning again.

"Right. So...where are they?"

"Hey, " Bull put his hands up in a defensive manner, "It was pants or answer the door. Would you rather I'd left lover boy standing on your front steps?"

"It's lovely weather, I'm sure Garrett would have been perfectly fine for a minute while you put pants on. Right, Garrett?"

"Perfectly fine." Hawke gave Bull an apologetic look and mumbled, "Sorry dude, but I need to stay on his good side."

"I get it, boss," Bull said and...was that a wink? Can you wink when you only have one eye? "Sorry," He said to Anders and started down the hallway. "One pair of pants coming right up."

"Sorry," Anders walked up to Hawke and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Bull is a great guy but he doesn't really understand modesty."

"No problem. It was just... confusing?" Hawke leaned in to kiss Anders. It was tentative as if it was the first time. Hawke had been thrown by Bull answering the door and could still feel the cold knot of jealousy deep in his gut.

The knot slowly dissolved as Anders returned the kiss, pressing Hawke against the foyer wall. Hawke relaxed under Anders, threading his fingers through Anders' lose hair. Anders deepened the kiss until Hawke had nearly forgotten why he was there, let alone that Bull was there.

With obvious reluctance, Hawke pushed Anders back. "We're going to be late for dinner," he said, his voice a touch huskier then when he'd arrived.

"Quite right." Anders gave Hawke one last, small kiss and then released him. He stepped back and turned to grab a coat from a peg on the wall across from Hawke. Hawke took a deep breath to compose himself, something that was made more difficult when his mind finally absorbed what Anders was wearing.

Gone were the cat shirt and sweatshirt. In their place, Anders wore a robin’s egg blue dress shirt with a deep yellow tie. These were paired with black slacks and dress shoes with subtle silver stitching. While his hair was down, which for most people would have seemed casual, on Anders it added to the feeling he had dressed up. It was brushed to the point of looking like silk and Hawke wanted to again feel the soft strands wrapped around his fingers while he… _Hawke. Get a hold of yourself._

Anders turned as he donned his jacket and caught Hawke staring. He grinned, pushing a strand of hair behind his ear. “Enjoying the view?”

“Very much so,” Hawke responded and pulled Anders back over for another kiss. He didn’t let this one get carried away. Instead, after a moment he took Anders’ hand and headed for the door. “I hope walking is all right with you. It isn’t far.”

“It’s a love night for a walk,” Anders said and gripped Hawke’s hand.

And it _was_ a lovely night for a walk.

They moved at a slow pace, hand-in-hand, chatting as they went. Any concerns Hawke had about Anders still being in the closet were quickly quelled when they passed an older man who scowled and spat on the ground. Anders immediately stopped walking and turned. “I’m sorry love offends you,” he said to the man and then pulled Hawke into a kiss.

When he’d been released, Hawke looked at the man to see if he needed to prepare for a confrontation. He’d wanted a nice, quiet, romantic date, not to get into a fight on the street over their relationship… but no. The man just shook his head and kept walking. He mumbled something under his breath that Hawke couldn’t quite make out but didn’t sound complimentary.

“What was that?” Anders bristled and took a step towards the man. Hawke gripped his hand tighter and pulled him back into an embrace.

“Leave it,” Hawke said with a quick kiss. “We have better things to do with our evening.”

“Old bigot,” Anders grumbled but didn’t resist as Hawke started walking again, tugging Anders along.

Despite the confrontation, Hawke grinned the rest of the walk. He refused to let Anders’ hand go as if to release him would be to end the fairy tale he’d found himself in. It wasn’t until they reached the restaurant, and Hawke had to open the door, that he relinquished his grasp. Anders stepped inside ahead of him and looked slowly around the space.

It was a mix of artsy and industrial. Each section had a theme, right down to the lights. One had lights that had been old hats – bowlers and tophats lined with metal. Another was birdcages with chandeliers inside. And yet another had decanters with lights inside hanging above the booths. These sections had art or decorations that matched the lighting scheme: Victorian newspaper sketches; pastel woodland scenes; leather-bound books.

As Anders leaned to look around the host desk, a petite blonde came bounding up.

“Hawke!” She nearly knocked him into Anders as she embraced him. “Haven’t seen ya here in ages. Where ya been?” She stepped back and spotted Anders, who was looking like a deer in the headlights. “Oi. Who’s your friend?”

Hawke laughed and ruffled the woman’s short hair. “Sera, Anders. Anders, this is Sera. She’s co-owner of Beetle. Front of house and…” He gestured around them. “Decorating.”

Anders reached out to shake Sera’s hand but that was apparently unacceptable. Instead, he was enveloped in a hug nearly as enthusiastic as Hawke’s had been. Anders looked at a loss as to what to do, so tentatively returned the embrace.

Seeing his discomfort, Hawke nudged Sera with an elbow. “Stop pawing at my man, Sera.”

“Your…wha?” She squinted up at Anders – the height difference was almost comical – and then laughed. “Oh. Right then. He’s pretty, Hawke. Nicely done.” And then she released Anders and stepped back.

Sera scooped up some menus and gestured for them to follow.

“Saw the reservation. Got your booth set.” She led them to a large booth under some of the hats.

“This is a bit large for the two of us, Sera. I’m sure you need the table for a larger party…” Hawke protested but Sera just shot him a look and waved the menus at him.

“Posh.” She said and ushered them into the booth. “You had a reservation.” She grinned and set the menus down. “I’ll send one of the girls over in a few. Take your time.”

And she was gone.

They both shuffled on the booth bench until they were nestled together in the corner of the booth. Anders sat quietly for a moment as if processing the whirlwind that was Sera. Eventually, he let out a soft chuckle and turned to Hawke.

“How do you know that woman?” He asked as he laughed.

Hawke patted the tabletop and grinned. “I was one of their suppliers. She wanted everything custom. From the lights to the table tops and booth. So…” Hawke ran his hand lovingly over the smooth surface. “I was hired to build these.”

“You built it?” Anders blinked. Hawke realized they’d never talked about what _he_ did for a living.

“Yeah,” Hawke said and pulled at his beard, suddenly feeling self-conscious again. “I build furniture. Beetle is actually why I’m in Kirkwall. I moved here for the contract and never left. There wasn’t much work in Lothering, so when this came up…” Hawke shrugged.  

“That’s…” Anders paused, glancing around the restaurant. “That’s amazing, Garrett.”

“It’s mostly a miracle I still have all my fingers with what a klutz I am,” Hawke said, deflecting the compliment. Anders’ eyes widened at that and he frowned.

“Oh. I hadn’t considered that. I am not sure how I feel about you using power tools and…saws.” He grabbed one of Hawke’s hands like he was trying to protect it with his. Hawke had to laugh.

“I’m really not that bad. I’ve only had to have a digit put back on once.” He freed his hand and twisted it to show Anders the scar running through where his thumb connected to his hand. When Anders’ frown deepened, a finger running over the scar, Hawke felt bad for making light of the injury. “It really wasn’t that bad,” he said lightly.

“I can tell based on this,” Anders continued to stroke the scar “But that doesn’t mean I have to be happy with the thought of you being injured.”

Maybe it was wrong but Anders’ concern warmed Hawke. Though maybe it was actually the gentle finger running over his hand.

While Hawke was teasing that apart, drinks were set down in front of them even though no one had ordered anything. When Hawke glanced at the bar, a redhead grinned and waved. He laughed and picked up one of the drinks, saluting her.

“I’m guessing you know everyone who works here?” Anders asked, picking up his pink and bubbly drink with a flower floating in it. He eyed is suspiciously before taking a sip. He seemed pleasantly surprised and tried another sip. Hawke laughed.

“Leliana is a master at determining what drink someone would like. She’s a bartender any restaurant would kill for.” Hawke held his Manhattan out towards Anders. “Cheers,” he said, and they clinked glasses.

As the alcohol warmed Hawke, he found the courage to ask what he had been avoiding since picking Anders up. “So… Bull?” Or almost ask.

Anders looked confused – something that was happening a lot this particular evening – before he laughed. “It really isn’t what it looked like. He’s just a friend.”

“That you know well enough to have rules about pants?”

“What? You don’t have any friends like that?”

Hawke considered a for a moment before conceding. “Sort of,” Hawke mumbled. While he didn’t have any rules about pants, Varric had a rule regarding pants that routinely applied to Hawke.

“He’s the husband of a friend from medical school. He stays with me when work brings him to town. Dorian will actually be joining him. That’s why he was… naked. I kicked him out of the shower so I could get ready.” Anders set his hand on Hawke’s thigh and squeezed. “There is definitely nothing there. _Believe_ me.”

And Hawke found he did. It surprised him. He leaned over and kissed Anders gently. “I do,” he said softly.

The rest of dinner went exactly as a real first date should. They ordered: Anders getting an organic goat cheese salad and a wild mushroom and fried polenta dish; Hawke ordering his favourite bison burger with fries. Leliana kept the drinks coming and the alcohol kept the conversation moving and Hawke’s awkwardness to a minimum. They learned about each other and neither seemed shocked by any of the revelations. After the dinner plates were cleared away, Sera arrived once again. She grinned at them as she set down a ramekin.

“On me. New addition. Chai tea crème brûlée. Lemme know how it is.” She set down two spoons and walked away with a wink.

Hawke had had enough to drink that he thought pretending he was in a romance movie made sense. He broke through the sugar crust on the dessert and held the first scoop out to Anders. Anders arched a brow at him but leaned in to eat the dessert. He closed his eyes and let out the smallest moan.

“That’s good,” Anders said as if Hawke hadn’t been able to figure that out based on that sinful sound Anders had made. Hawke sat momentarily frozen, just staring at Anders. “Ahem. Garrett?” Anders waved a hand in front of his face.

“Sorry,” Hawke cleared his throat and went in for a scoop of dessert for himself. Mostly to give him something to do.

They were able to finish dessert and pay without Sera reappearing. Hawke made a mental note to tell her the dessert was too good. Dangerous even. They made their escape into the night, which felt cooler than when they’d walked to the restaurant.

Hawke, emboldened by too many Manhattans, wrapped his arm around Anders’ waist and pulled him close as they walked. Anders practically fell into him, nuzzling against his neck as they weaved down the sidewalk.

It took longer to reach Anders’ house then it had taken to reach the restaurant due to a mix of not being able to keep a straight line, and Anders’ need to sporadically pull Hawke in for involved public displays of affection. Definitely no need to worry about Anders wanting to hide the relationship.

Anders pressed Hawke to his front door as he dug in his pocket for his keys and unlocked it, all without looking. He was too busy peppering kisses along Hawke’s neck to look at the door. For a brief moment, Hawke considered protesting. He considered going home. They were both drunk and it would be a mistake to do anything while drunk… but those thoughts died as the door swung open.

Hawke stumbled back into the foyer, Anders close behind him. Before he knew what was happening, Anders had him pinned to the wall. The same spot they’d started the evening. Hawke growled, all thoughts of walking away gone and replaced with one, singular thought. He bent his knees, bracing himself as he grabbed Anders’ around the thighs and lifted. Anders immediately wrapped his legs around Hawke’s waist and his arms around his neck.

“Bedroom,” Hawke rumbled against Anders’ ear.

“Upstairs. Second door on the left,” Anders replied between kisses along Hawke’s neck.

 _Upstairs?_ Hawke considered how much he’d had to drink and whether he could safely carry Anders upstairs… Maybe it wasn’t his frontal lobe doing the talking, but he decided he was capable.

He quickly carried Anders up the stairs and found the room. Thankfully the door was open. He carried Anders over the threshold and kicked the door shut behind him.

…a few heartbeats later the door opened slightly, and Anders dropped an annoyed Pounce into the hallway. The door clicked shut behind him.

 

 

* * *

 

Adorable family portrait by [lavanderlavellan on Tumblr!](https://lavanderlavellan.tumblr.com/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you're thinking... "She said updates would be erratic"... That still stands. There probably won't be one next week. I apologize! But there will be the following week, hopefully back on schedule.


	7. The Spitfire

When Anders had said he’d take Hawke out, Hawke had assumed it would involve a fancy restaurant or fancy event. Isn't that what doctors did with their time off? He’d also expected it to take place in the evening which, in his experience, was when most people went on dates. So he’d been surprised and not a small bit confused when he got Anders’ text tell him to be wearing something he didn’t mind ruining when Anders picked him up that afternoon.

Hawke owned a number of items he’d be fine ruining - carpentry wasn’t exactly a clothes-friendly career choice. The problem that had him staring at his closet was he still wanted to look good.

“Nope.” Another pair of pants was added to the pile growing on his bed. 

“Maybe,” He picked out a pair of jeans and turned them around in his hand. He noticed a hole in the crotch and tossed them on the pile with a sigh. “Everything I own is either pristine or a complete disaster.”

For a minute he seriously considered running out and buying a new outfit just for the date; something cheap but semi-attractive. But no. No time for that. _Why do you leave everything to the last minute?_

There were only two pairs of pants left in the closet that weren’t formalwear. Hawke flipped between them, looking them over critically. One pair was definitely wearing out on the ass, and the other had holes in the knees. _Knees it is_.

“Hopefully whatever we’re doing doesn’t involve something sticky that will result in me unintentionally waxing my legs,” he said to Dog, who was laying watching him from the little rug next to the bed. Dog’s ears perked up and he snorted in response.

“Don’t laugh at that idea. It isn’t funny. Bad enough Anders wanted to shave my chest…” Hawke wrinkled his nose, “Maybe he’s a menace to body hair…”

Hawke’s phone buzzed and chimed. “Shit,” he grabbed it up and dismissed the alter. He’d spent so much time searching through his wardrobe that he’d used up most of his prep time. He grabbed a random t-shirt and a beat-up red hoody to complete his outfit. He dressed quickly, needing to take Dog for a walk before Anders picked him up.

Dog wasn’t impressed with the cursory walk. Saturdays were typically _Dog Park Day_ and Dog had headed immediately in the direction of the park. It took quite a bit of tugging and coaxing to get Dog to turn and head back home instead of the park. Hawke would owe Dog extra treats later.

They were late getting back and Anders as standing on Hawke’s front porch when they arrived. Dog spotted him first and his whole body started vibrating as he wiggled his back end. He picked up speed, pulling Hawke along. Hawke had to jog to keep up.

“Dog! Heel! _Dog!_ ” Hawke sighed, giving up. Anders turned as Hawke hollered at Dog and he laughed.

“This is why I have a cat!” He called from the porch. He crouched down to meet Dog as he barreled up the porch.

Being at Dog’s level was poor planning. He jumped, paws landing on Anders’ chest and knocking him right over. Hawke yanked on the leash, shouting at Dog to get off while Anders fended off licks. Anders laughed and squirmed under Dog until Hawke was able to grab Dog’s collar and pull him off.

“Sit,” he ordered, and Dog plopped down, back end continuing to vibrate. “I think he missed you.” Hawke grinned, reaching his free hand down to help Anders back to his feet. He pulled Anders in, kissing him quickly, despite the dog slobber, and added, “I know I did.”

Anders laughed, wiping an arm over his face. “Obviously. You could both learn to show it without slobbering on me.” He winked at Hawke.

“Not going to happen,” Hawke said, opening the front door and ushering Dog inside. Anders followed, looking around the hallway. It was the first time Anders had been in Hawke’s house. “I can show you around if we have time?”

“Maybe later tonight,” Anders smirked, “We should get going before they close.”

“All right. Give me a moment to get Dog settled.” Hawke unhooked the leash and went to the kitchen to pour Dog some food to tide him over until Hawke returned. “So where are we going?” Hawke asked as he finished up.

“It’s a surprise,” Anders responded, smiling. Hawke rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling back. He realized he’d clearly chosen his outfit well. Anders was wearing worn jeans and a sweatshirt, just like Hawke. Though he somehow managed to look adorable in his baggy blue hoody and tight jeans.

“You’re lucky I like surprises,” Hawke gathered Anders into a hug and kissed the tip of his nose. Anders swatted him away and stepped back.

“Stop that or we’ll never get out of here,” he said. He opened the front door and pulled Hawke out and down the stairs. Hawke looked at the vehicles parked along the roadside, trying to guess which belonged Anders.

He guessed wrong. He really needed to stop attaching doctor stereotypes to Anders.

Anders lead Hawke down the street to a cute little blue Nissan. A Nissan. Hawke tried to school his face but must have failed. Anders grinned at him, practically bouncing on his toes.

“It’s completely electric. Isn’t she pretty? I just got her a few months ago.” He laughed and clicked his key fob to unlock the car. He slid into the driver’s seat and Hawke quickly joined him.

“Eco-friendly important to you, is it?” Hawke asked.

“Of course. It should be important to everyone. We only have one planet…” Anders continued as they drove. Hawke felt he was getting a glimpse into undergraduate, social justice Anders. There was a flush to Anders’ cheeks as he spoke. He gestured with one hand while the other controlled the steering wheel. Hawke liked this Anders. Well, he liked all the Anders he'd seen so far.

They drove for around a half hour. Though it felt shorter, Hawke engrossed in watching Anders talk. When they pulled up to a low, brick building and Anders turned the car off, Hawke glanced around. He squinted as he spotted a sign near the front door of the squat building. **_Kirkwall Regional Animal Shelter._**

_An animal shelter for a date? Only Anders._

Hawke looked over at Anders, who was looking at him expectantly.

"So are we cleaning the place? Walking the dogs? What exactly does one do at an animal shelter?" Hawke asked.

"Better," Anders grinned. "We're socializing the new cats. Maybe the dogs if you ask nicely." Anders winked at him and quickly got out of the car. Hawke had to swallow a laugh. Anders was reminding him of Dog earlier. He had that same excited energy that seemed to vibrate through the air. If Anders had a tail, it would be wagging.

When they walked into the shelter, Anders was greeted enthusiastically by the woman at the front desk. She got up and came around the desk to grab Anders in a hug.

“Oh, you’re just in time. We got two new litters the other day. There’s this tiny orange spitfire that reminds me of a certain someone.” She grinned at Anders, who was laughing.

“Oh? Perhaps Ser Pounce-a-lot needs a squire.” Anders glanced at Hawke a winked. “Two litters, hm? Guess it’s good I brought a friend.”

“Excellent! The more the merrier.” The woman stepped back and scooped up a clipboard. “Just sign in and you can go right on in. Not like you don’t know where you’re going.”

Both Anders and Hawke signed their names on the little clipboard and then Anders led Hawke through to a cement hallway. It was cold and felt sterile. Not the most comfortable place for a date…

Anders drew Hawke to a room that was almost all windows. Hawke could see kittens of various sizes playing on an array of climbing pieces or sleeping on one of the many beds. It was impossible to not smile at the little balls of fur. And Hawke’s smile only grew when he glanced at Anders. Anders was beaming, watching a pair of kitten wrestle from the window in the door.

“Are we just going to stand out here, or are we going to go play?” Hawke asked, wrapping an arm around Anders’ waist and rubbing his beard against Anders’ neck.

“Of course, we’re going in but just look at them! I wanted to see who was going to win.” Anders grinned, opening the heavy door and then quickly shutting it once Hawke was through. Anders quickly settled on the floor in the middle of the room.

It didn’t take long before Anders was covered in kittens clamouring for attention. He was laughing as he plucked a little black kitten from his shoulder, it having climbed up Anders’ back and settled on his shoulder. He held the kitten, barely bigger than his palm, and leaned down to nuzzle it. He seemed so at home surrounded by a horde of tiny felines.

Hawke, on the other hand, stood awkwardly by the door just watching. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. Sure “cuddle the kittens” sounds like an easy task but when there’s two dozen of them where do you even start?

That dilemma was solved for him when he felt a tugging at the left leg of his pants. Hawke looked down to see a small, orange kitten slowly climbing its way up his leg. He smiled at it, marvelling at the determination of such a tiny creature… until it hit his knee. The knee with a rip which exposed skin. Skin easily punctured by the needles that are kitten claws.

“Ouch!” Hawke grabbed up the kitten and held it up at eye level. “That hurt you little fur ball.” He grumbled. The kitten hissed, hair along its spine spiking up. “Oh. So, you’re the little spitfire, are you? You do realize I’m much bigger than you, don’t you?”

The kitten spat and growled. Hawke laughed, settling the kitten into one hand and petting it with the other, earning small battle wounds as the kitten swiped at his fingers.

“Taming the wild beast?” Anders asked from under half a dozen kittens. He’d flopped over at some point and was laying on the floor. Based on the wriggling under his hoodie, at least one kitten had found its way into Anders’ shirt. He let out tiny giggles and Hawke joined in, laughing deeply.

“I’m certainly going to try,” Hawke settled down on the floor and put the kitten in his lap. Its body put off enough heat, Hawke could feel the warmth through his jeans. The kitten climbed along Hawke’s legs but never left them. As he reached Hawke’s ankles, Hawke would scoop him up and set him back on his thighs. The kitten would spit when picked up but had no issue sitting on Hawke’s lap.

Eventually, the little orange kitten tired. He stopped climbing and curled into a tiny ball, settling in the crease between Hawke’s thighs. Hawke smiled at it, stroking lightly down its back. There was no hissing or puffed fur this time. But there was a tiny little rumble. A rumble that grew until Hawke could feel it in his fingertips.

“Anders! Anders!” He looked over to see Anders laying with his eyes closed, kittens curled up across his torso.

“Hm? Yes, Garrett darling?” Anders mumbled, cracking an eye open.

“He’s purring. He’s stopped trying to kill me and now he’s _purring_.” Hawke grinned, pleased with himself.

“So, he is. Well done. One tiny tiger tamed. Does this mean Dog is going to get a brother?”

“Hm. Maybe not quite yet. And I’m not sure a kitten is the right fit for Dog… maybe a slightly bigger house tiger,” Hawke said, winking at Anders. Anders arched a brow at that before smiling. It was almost a shy smile. “Is this… is this all we’re supposed to do? Just… sit here?”

Anders laughed, jostling the kittens sleeping on him. One wandered off after being disturbed but the rest just glared before going back to sleep. “Well, you could play with some of the others… but ultimately, yes. This is all we’re supposed to do. The kittens often come in afraid of people, especially large, loud men,”

“Hey!” Hawke said and a tiny kitten off to his right took off into a cubby and stayed there. Hawke had the good grace to look chagrinned.

“So, having us here being _mostly_ non-threatening helps prepare them to find homes. It’s hard for a kitten who hides to find a family. Or a kitten who hisses and attacked,” Anders gestured at the little ball of fur on Hawke lap. Hawke looked down at the kitten fondly. “It’s called socializing.”

“Do you do this often? Come and just sit and play with kittens?”

“As often as I can. It’s good for them and it’s good for me.” Anders gave two of his furry friends a scratch. “Sometimes, after a particularly bad week, I’ll spend a few hours here. Just sitting with the kittens. Or going to see one of the older cats. Sometimes they get in scared cats who just need someone to show them love. Help them trust.” Anders seemed to become sad. Hawke stretched an arm out, trying not to disturb the kitten on his lap, and brushed his fingertips against the back of Anders’ hand. That earned another small smile and Anders’ turned his hand over and gripped Hawke’s. “Are you happy?” He asked.

“Extremely,” Hawke replied and squeezed Anders’ hand.

They remained with the kittens for another hour. Hawke’s orange fluff eventually woke up, and Hawke grabbed a feather toy and flick and twitch in the air. He laughed when the kitten jumped up and tried to get the toy. It didn’t take long before Hawke had a dozen kittens trying to play along and it became impossible to move the toy.

“We should get going. They closed about fifteen minutes ago,” Anders said next to his shoulder. Hawke sighed, a little disappointed. He’d been enjoying playing with the kittens. They made his heart lighter.

“Closed? And they just let us stay here?” Hawke turned and placed a light kiss on Anders’ cheek.

“I’m here enough that I get some special treatment.” Anders wrapped an around Hawke’s waist and gave him a quick squeeze. “But I don’t want the volunteers to have to stay late because we don’t want to stop playing with kittens.”

“Oh right. Of course, you’re right.” Hawke set the little toy back in its box. He looked around for the little orange kitten, and when he spotted it he scooped it up. He held it in one hand, scratching it behind the ears. “You be a good boy. If you stop hissing at people, you’ll get a home in no time.”

It was harder than he’d had thought, leaving the kittens. He hated that they didn’t have warm laps to curl up on that night or someone to play with them. Though they did have each other. He suddenly wondered if Anders had thought the date through. Leaving on a sad note was not the best way to end a date.

Anders glanced over at Hawke as they walked through the parking lot and his smile was tinged with sadness. So, he felt it as well. At the car, Anders grabbed Hawke by the waist and pulled him into a tight hug. He rested his chin on Hawke’s shoulder and sighed.

“This was supposed to be fun and happy. I’m sorry for it getting melancholy.”

Hawke hummed, a deep rumble in his throat and hugged Anders back. “I had a lovely time. Who doesn’t love playing with kittens?” Hawke kissed Anders. It started light and gentle, but Anders pressed back. He stepped forward until he had Hawke pressed again the side of his car. Anders braced himself with his hands resting on the car, framing Hawke’s face. They stayed like that, making out in the parking lot like teenagers until there was a quiet clearing of a throat. Anders quickly stepped back, glancing around. Hawke took more time to recover and just leaned against the car blinking.

“Have a good night, boys.” The woman from the front desk said as she got into her car. Hawke flushed beet red.

“We should take this back to my place before we get arrested,” Hawke said and opened the driver’s side door for Anders. “What’s the fastest route from here?”

 

* * *

 

Amazing art by [drawsshits on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/drawsshits/173180307721) inspired by this chapter:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is nothing but ridiculousness. Sorry... not sorry.


	8. The Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke ends up visiting Anders at work.

It was all in the tiny details. That was what made Hawke successful in business and it was what was going to make him successful in his relationship with Anders. Or, that’s what he was telling himself as he fiddled with the LEDs he’d rigged in the cat-shaped bottle. He’d finally gotten them to all light up when he flicked the switch.

“Yes! About time,” he said and grinned. Dog perked up next to him with a deep answering woof. “Thanks for the support boy.”

The bottom of the bottle had been removed and Hawke had a piece of wood off to the side, cut to size. There was a cord from the LEDs that ran through a hole in the glass, at the edge of where the bottom would connect. Hawke picked up a small container of glue and spread a thin layer around the outside edge of the wooden bottom. He leaned over, picking up the bottle in one hand and the disk in the over. Slowly, carefully, he lined the new bottom up…

The stool shook as Dog bashed against it as he settled back onto the floor

“Fuck!” Hawke's arm jerked at the movement. He was too close to the items he was working on and instead of the glue sealing the light he was working on, it was suddenly sticking to his chin and lower lip. “Dog!”

There was a brief whine as Dog looked up, his eyes saying, “What did I do?”

Hawke felt guilty for yelling at Dog when he hadn’t intended to disrupt him. Hawke tugged at the disk of wood and grimaced. _Well, that smarts._ He grabbed the glue bottle to read the instructions. He scanned until he reached the important parts, such as the reminder that it’s toxic. Don’t pull apart but use remover. Hawke picked up his phone and looked up the time… 10:00 pm.

A quick internet search confirmed that, indeed, Kirkwall did not have a hardware store that was open after 9:00 pm. Hawke wandered to the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror, considering himself. He tugged at the disk again, watching it pull his lower lip out.

“Fuck,” he said again.

 He briefly contemplated just sleeping it off. Well, not off but… sleeping until someplace was open. He even laid down on the bed to test out of the idea. The wood, while not heavy, weighed enough that it pulled painfully at his beard and skin. He quickly got back up.

With a loud sigh, Hawke grabbed up his keys and wallet.

“I’ll be back in a bit, buddy,” he said to Dog who was looking at him with huge eyes.

The embarrassment of the situation grew the closer Hawke got to the hospital. He didn’t mind going to the emergency room for a sliced off a finger, but having to get a piece of wood removed from your face because your dog bumped you after all the stores were closed? _Thank the Maker Anders isn’t an ER doctor_.

Triage was quick, but the wait was not. Hawke sat, resting a hand over his face to hide the wood, for what seemed like half the night. He sat sending inane texts to Varric, Fenris and Anders. Only Varric responded. When he was finally escorted to a bed it was… 12:30 am. Hawke frowned at his phone. _It has to be later than that_ …

A nice nurse took the required measurements – heart rate, oxygen levels, etc – and left Hawke alone again. He was just starting to get antsy when he heard a voice he recognized. Hawke suppressed a groan, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

_What the hell is he doing here this late?_

He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but he was just a few beds down and the only thing muffling sound was the canvas curtains separating the beds.

“Mr Bryland, this is Doctor Rache. He’s from our cardiac surgery department. There were some anomalies on tests which I had him look at.”

“…Your x-ray and ECG indicate an abnormality in your heart muscles. They’re too thick and so are not working properly. This is why you’ve been feeling short of breath. I’ve prescribed medication to improve blood flow. We’d like you to remain overnight and have arranged for an MRI tomorrow. I will meet with you after your MRI to discuss the results and next steps.”

Hawke tried really hard to stop listening but it was Anders’ voice and he was drawn to it. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, Hawke’s doctor arrived at that moment. He had a booming voice. Or, at least, it seemed that way to Hawke at right that moment.

“Mr Hawke, how are you? I’m Doctor Cadash,” he said and held out his hand. The doctor was short, likely only coming up to mid-way up Hawke’s chest. Hawke was glad he was sitting. He took Dr Cadash’s hand with his right, holding the piece of wood with his left.

“Would be better if I wasn’t here,” Hawke joked.

“Wouldn’t we all?” Cadash responded. “So, what seems to be the problem?”

“A large, clumsy dog and glue.” Hawke wondered if Anders could hear him. He hoped he was too busy with the patient. He removed his hand from the piece of wood and tried a grin. It hurt.

“Ouch.” Cadash reached out and gently moved the hair of Hawke’s beard out of the way to get a look. “Not too bad. We should be able to get that off no problem. Though you might have bits of glue stuck in your beard for a while. I might suggest shaving in.”

“Shaving?” Hawke’s eye got huge. “I’ll manage, thank you. Just get this damned thing off.”

The doctor laughed and grabbed up his clipboard. “I’ll have a nurse come by to dissolve the glue. Try not to fuss with it until they get here. I can see your skin is quite irritated already. I’ll prescribe some hydrocortisone cream for you to apply for the next few days until any swelling and irritation go down.”

Doctor Cadash pushed the curtain aside and wandered out of Hawke’s little “room”. He wondered how long it would take for a nurse to come by given how long it had taken to see a doctor.

“Garrett?” Anders’ hesitant voice was just outside the curtain. Again, Hawke tried not to groan. He wasn’t successful.

“Uhm, hey Anders,” Hawke replied.

“Are you all right? Can I come in?”

For a split-second, Hawke considered saying no. His pride was hurting enough as it was without Anders involved. But he couldn’t deny Anders.

“Of course. Come on in and see the great buffoon.”

Hawke was doing a lopsided grin when Anders entered. It didn’t take long for Anders to cover his mouth to stifle a laugh.

“What did you do?” He said from behind his hand.

“What? You don’t like my new look? I thought maybe I’d start a new fad.” Hawke winked before continuing, “Small accident involving Dog, industrial super glue and my face.”

“Oh,” Anders said softly, still obviously trying not to laugh. He walked over and settled next to Hawke on the exam bed. He leaned close, examining the glued-on wood. “Why don’t you have any dissolver on hand? You work with this kind of thing all the time.”

“I’ve never needed it.” Hawke gently brushed a hand along Anders’ arm.

“No excuse,” Anders sighed and took Hawke’s hand. “You should be prepared for accidents. I shouldn’t be finding you here.”

“Maybe this is just an elaborate excuse to see my boyfriend at work?” Hawke said and then stopped dead. They hadn’t really discussed the B-word. And even if they had, as Hawke just pointed out, Anders was at work. Hawke waited for some sort of reaction.

Anders smiled and placed an awkward kiss on Hawke’s lips, avoiding the piece of word partially stuck to Hawke’s bottom lip.

“There are less elaborate ways to visit me at work. Such as… I don’t know… Meeting me for lunch.”

“Would that…Would that be all right? Showing up here and having lunch?” Hawke squeezed Anders’ hand, watching his face closely. Anders laughed again.

“Of course, it would. That would be wonderful.” Another light kiss. “Just phone ahead to make sure I’m not in surgery.”

“Of course,” Hawke said as if he’d have thought of that himself and wasn’t going to just randomly show up. “Speaking of work… why are you even here?”

“On call,” Anders shrugged. “Certain days I need to take calls and be available to come in if needed. It’s why I can’t always do something after work.”

“Oh. That sounds stressful,” Hawke squeezed Anders’ hand. “And you look exhausted.”

“Well it is after midnight,” Anders said with a small smile. “And I’ve been up since six o’clock. I think it’s catching up with me.”

“Are you safe to drive home?” Hawke peered into Anders’ face, frowning at the redness of his eyes and the purple shadows under them.

“I’ll be fine, Garrett. I do this all the time,” Anders kissed Hawke’s cheek. “But thanks for worrying about me.”

The nurse arrived to finally remove the wood from Hawke’s face. She stopped and blinked when he saw Anders sitting on the bed.

“I’m sorry Doctor Rache, I didn’t realize you were checking on the patient,” she said very clearly confused.

“Oh, carry on, Sadie. I’m here as family, not as his doctor. Just making sure he behaves for you.” Anders winked at Hawke.

“Family?” Sadie seemed more confused.

Anders kissed Hawke’s cheek in response to the question, squeezed his hand, and said “I’ll go gather my stuff so I’m ready to leave when you’re done here. I’ll meet you at the main ER doors, sweetheart.”

Every time Anders demonstrated affection towards him in public, Hawke got extra butterflies in his stomach. They almost managed to distract him from Sadie tugging at the wood and smearing his face with a horrible-smelling gel. Hawke wrinkled his nose but stayed still. He really didn’t want a bald patch in his beard.

“All done,” Sadie said and held up the wood disk.  “Do you still want it?”

Hawke considered for a moment and then grinned. “Afraid I still need it. It’s sort of important.”

Sadie looked at Hawke a moment before shrugging and handing the piece of wood over. She smeared some white cream over the irritated area.

“This would be more effective without the beard,” she said, rubbing the cream into the skin of his chin.

“Probably,” was Hawke’s only response.

Wood removed, the cream applied, and a prescription for more cream obtained, Hawke was discharged and sent on his way. Anders was sitting in one of the waiting room chairs. His eyes were closed and his head was resting on the back of the chair. Hawke wondered if he was sleeping. He walked quietly up and stopped in front of Anders, wondering how to proceed.

“I’m not asleep,” Anders said and opened his eyes.

“Let me drive you home,” Hawke smiled and reached a hand out to help Anders up. Anders was sluggish and leaned into Hawke as he stood. He hugs Hawke weakly.

“I’m fine. And if I let you drive me, how am I to get to work tomorrow?”

“I’ll drive you to work as well,” Hawke said in a tone that broached no argument. “You can stay at my place. We’ll pop by and feed Pounce and grab your clothes.”

Anders smiled and nodded. “Sounds lovely. Thank you.”

It took twenty minutes to get to Anders’ flat and another twenty to gather Anders’ clothing for the next day and convince Pounce the world wasn’t ending because they were leaving again. That time of day the roads were deserted, and it was less than ten minutes from Anders’ house to Hawke’s.

Hawke ushered Anders into his place and right to the bedroom. Anders flopped down on the bed and started to drift off, still dressed.

“Oh no you don’t,” Hawke said and helped Anders to sit back up. “You’re not sleeping in your clothes. No clothes in the bedroom rule.”

Anders fumbled with the buttons of his shirt and sighed in frustration. Hawke nuzzled against his neck and quickly worked the buttons loose. He continued to help Anders undress and finally tucked him properly into bed.

“I need to walk Dog. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He kissed Anders’ on the cheek and stood.

“Mmm.” Was Anders’ only response.

Dog was happy to be walked and gave Hawke puppy-dog eyes when the walk was cut short. Hawke gave him a pat on the head.

“Sorry buddy, it’s late,” he said and headed back home.

Anders was fast asleep when Hawke entered the bedroom. There were tiny snuffle-snores coming from the bed and Hawke stopped at the edge of the bed to just watch Anders sleeping. He looked so relaxed. Younger. Hawke couldn’t help but smile.

_Stop being creepy and go to sleep, Hawke._

He quickly undressed and slid into the bed on the opposite side to Anders. He snuggled up, pressing against Anders’ back and wrapped arm around his chest. He drifted off to sleep, wrapped in the warmth of Anders’ body and the smell of strawberries from Anders’ hair.


	9. Pet Sitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke and Anders go on vacation, leaving Varric to look after Dog and Pounce.

It took a lot of convincing, but Hawke was finally able to get Anders to agree to an entire weekend away from Kirkwall. No being on-call. No catching up on paperwork. No Pounce and Dog. Just the two of them together at a bed-and-breakfast in the country.

The problem was going away for more than a day when you have pets means someone has to look after them. In this case, that someone was Varric. And he wasn’t completely happy about it.

“How do you expect me to manage looking after two animals, in two different houses, and still get to have a weekend where I enjoy myself?” Varric asked as he stood in Hawke’s foyer.

“Well you could always just take Dog and stay at Anders’ place. I don’t think he’d mind,” Hawke said as he double checked he had everything in his overnight bag. He and Anders had already discussed the possibility of Varric essentially house-sitting while he was pet-sitting.

Varric snorted.

“Stay in a veritable stranger’s house for the weekend with a giant dog and a cat? That is supposed to help me enjoy my weekend?”

“It is a very nice house. He has a spa bath tub,” Hawke paused to gage Varric’s reaction. There wasn’t much of one. “And an amazing personal library and wine collection?”

That worked.

“Well, if Blondie doesn’t mind… that would certainly make my life easier,” Varric said, obviously attempting to sound nonchalant. Hawke had to supress a grin.

“I’m so happy we can make this as painless as possible,” Hawke grabbed a canvas bag from a hook by the door. “I’ll grab Dog’s stuff and then we can go.”

Luckily Dog didn’t have much in the way of “stuff” and Hawke had everything organized in five minutes. Dog was on his leash, vibrating with the excitement of going on an adventure. Varric was holding the leash and looking at the large dog dubiously.

“He weighs more than I do.”

Hawke looked Varric up and down before shrugging. “Probably. Guess it’s a good thing you’re stubborn.” He grinned and ushered everyone out the front door.

When they arrived, Anders seemed unsurprised that Varric had decided to stay over. After he’d extracted himself from under Dog and licks and his wagging rear, Anders turned to Varric.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” he said, shaking Varric’s hand. “Pounce’s feeding schedule is on the fridge. With it is a list of his favourite treats, how many he is allowed to have, his favourite hiding places in case you can’t find him, and the phone numbers for my regular veterinarian and the emergency animal hospital. You have Garrett’s number and mine is also on the list on the fridge. If you have any issues, please call or send a text.”

Varric stood and listened without making a face. At the end of it, Varric clapped Anders on the arm and grinned.

“I think I can manage a cat for two days. I’m more worried about this lumbering beast,” he gestured in Hawke and Dog’s direction. “But I suppose he’ll be safe in your hands.” Varric winked. Anders laughed, some tension obviously leaving him at the joke.

“We’ll see if I can get him home unharmed,” Anders said with a smile.

“Wrap him in bubble wrap,” Varric suggested. He took Dog’s leash from Hawke and lead the mastiff further into the house. “Now shoo with you both. Go enjoy your weekend away.”

“We’re going,” Hawke said and grabbed Anders’ around the waist to guide him to the door. “Give me updates on how it’s going so I know you haven’t been crushed under Dog, right?”

“I love the confidence you have in me. Leaving me here with a beast you’re convinced will accidently kill me. It warms my heart how much you care.” Varric made a shooing motion. “Now go!

When Hawke and Anders had shut the door, Varric turned to eye Dog.

“You be a good boy this weekend and there’s a steak in it for you.”

Dog’s ears perked up and he tilted his head to the side.

“You understand steak?”

Dog’s head tilted the other direction. His rear end started to wiggle.

“Good. I think we understand each other.”

Varric unhooked the leash and wandered further into the house, Dog at his heels. He read over Anders’ list of instructions on the fridge and snorted. He glanced around for Pounce but didn’t see him, so headed down a hallway he hoped was the way to the library.

He was not disappointed.

Varric perused Anders' library, running his fingers over the spines as he read the titles. Dog padded along beside him, practically connected at the hip.

Anders' study contained an eclectic collection. There were subjects in the non-fiction realm such as medical, law and veterinary, as well as fiction ranging from romance to science fiction. Varric grabbed one of the science fiction novels and flopped into a plush armchair.

Dog settled next to the chair with a loud sigh. He looked up at Varric with large eyes.

"He's only gone for two days, buddy. You'll be fine." Varric gave the dog a smile.

As Varric read, and Dog napped, Pounce skulked into the room. Varric saw the movement out of the corner of his eye but stayed still in the chair. Pounce walked the perimeter of the room, casting suspicious looks in Dog's direction. When there was no sign of movement from Dog, Pounce bounded across the space between him and the chair and leapt into Varric's lap.

"Whoa! Hey there." Varric shifted the book into one hand, using a finger to hold his place. He reached down hesitantly to give Pounce a light pet.

"Brrt." Pounce twisted to look at the hand and then arched into the touch. He walked in a circle on Varric's thighs before settling down and curling into a ball. He purred contentedly as Varric continued to stroke down his back.

Book in one hand, Varric settled back to read.

He made it through well over a hundred pages before his phone buzzed in his back pocket. He twisted in the chair to dig it out, disturbing Pounce in the process.

Pounce jumped down on the floor and landed right in front of Dog. The soft thud was enough to rouse Dog and he lifted his head, blinking. When he spotted Pounce, he let out a deep _woof_ and leapt to his feet. Pounce took off at a run, headed out of the study with Dog close behind him, shaking the floor as he went.

"Oh for the love of..." Varric glanced at his phone to see Hawke's name on the caller ID. "Really? Now?... Dog! Sit!" Varric called before he answered the phone. "Hey, Hawke. You and Blondie enjoying the trip thus far?"

"Hawke got us lost because he refused to use the GPS," Anders said, sighing in exasperation. "We've just settled into the room. How are the kids behaving?"

Varric glanced down the hall. He couldn't see either animal but there was another loud _woof_ and a crash.

"They're great," Varric said through a fake smile, hoping the noises didn't transfer through the phone. "We were just enjoying quiet time in the study when you called."

"Oh! How lovely!" Anders did sound honestly delighted. "In that case can I... would you mind terribly if I video chatted with Pounce? He really does get anxious when I leave him alone too long."

"Video chat?" Varric swallowed, peering into the living room to see Pounce on the table and Dog staring him down, back end wagging. There was a hiss, and Pounce's tail doubled in size. "I actually don't know where Pounce is right this moment. I had to get up to get my phone from my back pocket and he wandered off... How about I call you when I find him?"

"Oh." Anders sounded disappointed. "Sure. That will work. We're going for dinner in an hour but..."

"We'll be busy!" Varric heard Hawke yell. "You can see Pounce when we get home tomorrow night."

"How about I text Hawke’s phone with updates and photos?" Varric suggested as a compromise.

"That would be wonderful! Thank you, Varric," Anders said, much to Varric's relief. 

"Talk to you then. Have a great night, the both of you." Varric attempted to step between Dog and Pounce, hoping a physical barrier would calm the situation.

"You too. Tell Pounce I love him."

"And tell Dog he's a slobbery pain in the butt!" Hawke called from the background.

"Will do. Now shoo and get ready for your dinner."

"Going!" Anders said in a sing-song voice. "Good night, Varric!"

When the phone went silent, Varric stuffed it back into his pocket. He grabbed Dog's collar and tried to physically haul him back from the table where Pounce with puffed-up and hissing. It didn't work. Instead, Varric was pulled off his feet when Pounce jumped to the back of the couch and Dog lunged after him.

“Whoa! Stop! Heel! Whatever!” Varric yelled, now holding Dog’s collar while on hit butt on the floor. At _Heel_ Dog suddenly stopped and fell back a step. He twisted his head to look at Varric and upon seeing him on the floor, turned. He stepped over Varric’s legs and licked up his cheek, chin to forehead. Then his nose. Then his cheek again.

Varric laughed and spluttered, waving his hands to fend off the licks. “Stop. Stop. Sit. Down.” Varric groaned and wiggled out from under Dog. He stood, wiping his face with his hands. Dog sat, looking extreme happy. Pounce was once again nowhere to be found.

“Will a walk calm you down?” Varric asked Dog, who woofed and immediately raced to the front door. Varric found him pacing back and forth in front of the door, glancing back at Varric as if to say “Hurry up!”

It wasn’t supposed to be a long walk, but Dog had other plans. Varric let him take the lead for a bit… well, “let” might be overstating it. Varric didn’t have much choice. It wasn’t until they were only a couple blocks away that Varric realized Dog was heading back to Hawke’s.

“Oh no. That’s not home tonight.” Varric attempted to steer Dog back in the direction of Anders’ house. He didn’t have much luck.

“I didn’t want to have to do this but…” Varric looped the leash around his forearm and dug in his pocket. He pulled out a small baggy of dried liver. He took out a piece and tossed it in the direction of Anders’ house. “Go get it.”

Dog perked up and bounded after the liver, pulling Varric along with him. When that one was consumed, Varric tossed another. And another. He continued until they were on the porch to Anders’ place.

“Finally,” Varric said with a sigh, unlocking the door quickly and pulling Dog in.

The wine Hawke had mentioned suddenly seemed extremely important. Varric searched until he found the little collection in the kitchen, poured himself a glass, and settled back into the study. A glass of wine, a book, a comfortable chair…there were worse ways to spend Saturday night.

When he went to make himself some dinner, Varric found Pounce sitting on the kitchen counter. Varric was happy Dog had removed dozing in the study. Varric glanced at the schedule on the fridge and then the time on the microwave: he was late in putting out food.

Pounce _meow_ ed.

“Yes. Yes. I see that I’m late. I’m sorry.”

Varric poured Pounce’s food and set it in front of him on the counter. Pounce blinked at him.

“Well?”

Pounce looked at the food, then Varric, and back to the food.

“What’s wrong with it?”

Varric nudged the dish closer.

Pounce smelled the food, looked up once more, and then began to eat.

“Weirdo,” Varric muttered and set about making his own meal. While water was coming to a boil, he snapped a quick picture of Pounce eating and sent it off to Hawke, keeping his promise to send update photos.

Varric managed to eat in peace and the rest of the evening was mercifully uneventful. After another, more successfully short walk, Varric decided to head to bed. He arranged the pillows on the guest bed and then when to brush his teeth. When he came back, Dog had taken most of the bed.

“Off,” Varric said and pointed to the floor. Dog looked at him and just blinked. Not having the energy to fight with the mastiff, Varric sighed and walked to the far side of the bed. He pulled back the covered and wiggled in next to the large dog who took up more of the bed than Varric.

Back pressed against Dog’s side, Varric dozed off.

The sun was shining through the window when Varric woke. He felt pinned down.

Varric opened his eyes and looked down at his stomach – there was an orange ball of fur on it. He blinked away sleep, slowly remembering where he was. He glanced next to him and found Dog still stretched out on the bed.

Pounce and Dog were on the same bed.

As much as he didn’t want to disturb the delicate balance that had been established, Varric’s bladder had other plans. He carefully lifted Pounce off his stomach and set him on the pillow. As he moved, Dog lifted his head but didn’t get up. Varric eyed both animals, waiting for hell to break loose… but it didn’t. Dog put his head back down and Pounce curled up on the pillow. Varric sighed in relief.

When he wandered back to the bedroom, Pounce had moved. He was now curled up against Dog’s back.

Varric stopped in the doorway and stared. He moved quietly over to the nightstand to grab his phone and took a picture, which he promptly sent to Hawke.

It didn’t take long for a text message to arrive. It was a string of emojis he didn’t quite understand. It wasn’t like Hawke, so he assumed it was from Anders. It was followed by another that just said:

  _We’ll be home by 6:00 pm._

 

* * *

 

It was a bit after six when Hawke and Anders arrived home.

Varric was sprawled in the armchair in the study once again, wine and book in hand. Pounce was curled up in Varric’s lap and Dog was at his feet.

“We’re home!” Hawke’s voice echoed through the house.

Dog perked up. He lifted his ears and looked to the door of the study but didn’t move.

“Hello?” Anders asked.

“In here!” Varric called.

There was the sound of footsteps down the hallway and then Anders’ face was peeking into the study. He grinned.

“Look at that,” he said with amazement. “You work wonders Varric.”

“Where’s my boy?” Hawke called from the hallway and appeared behind Anders. “Oh.”

Hawke blinked before smiling. He squeezed by Anders and walked over to the chair, crouching down next to Dog. He was greeted with kisses.

Anders followed close behind, leaning down to scoop Pounce into a hug. “Was someone a good boy while daddy was gone? You’re such a good kitty, aren’t you Ser Pounce-a-lot?”

Varric tried hard not to snort at the two idiots and their pets.

“Well, that’s my cue to leave.” He shut the book and set it next to the wineglass on a small table. He slid off the chair, brushing cat fur off his pants.

“Did everything go okay?” Hawke asked, glancing up from ruffling Dog’s fur.

“Completely uneventful,” Varric said, pausing in the doorway on his way out to grab his stuff. He smiled.

Hawke and Anders looked at each other in disbelief before Anders said, “I’m putting you on speed dial as my new pet sitter.”

“Please don’t,” Varric said and walked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? You thought this story was about Hawke and Anders? It's really about Dog and Pounce. :D


	10. Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke and Anders join Dorian and Bull for dinner.

It was all Anders’ idea and Hawke still wasn’t sure about it. He tugged at the red bowtie, frowning in the mirror. He’d had to buy a new suit just for the occasion.

"Stop that," Anders said and lightly slapped Hawke's hand away from the tie. "You keep that up you're going to accidentally untie it."

"But it's crooked," Hawke said defensively.

"Here, let me."

Anders stepped behind Hawke and reached around his chest. Hawke could feel Anders pressed against his back and leaned slightly into him. In the mirror, he watched Anders straighten and tighten the bowtie.

"Perfection." Anders tapped Hawke on the nose with a grin as he said, "Now don't touch." 

Hawke turned before Anders could step away and wrapped his arms around Anders' waist.

"Almost as perfect as you," he said, nuzzling into Anders' neck.

"Ugh. Garrett! That tickles!" Anders squirmed and laughed, putting his hands on Hawke's chest to push him back. Hawke grinned wickedly, spinning to press Anders against the vanity.

"Does it? What about when I do this?" He nibbled along Anders' neck to his ear. "Does that tickle?" he murmured.

"Mmm. I wouldn't quite call it..." Anders shook his head and pushed at Hawke in earnest this time. "If you don't stop we'll never make it to dinner and Dorian will be very cross with me. Save it for later."

"Fine," Hawke said with an obvious pout. He gave Anders a quick, passionate kiss. "But you owe me."

Hawke released Anders and reached up to straighten his tie again. Anders smacked his hand away with a laugh and wandered into the bedroom. Hawke was still frowning at his reflection when Anders returned with their suit jackets.

"I feel like I'm going to suffocate," Hawke complained as he took his jacket and slipped it on.

"You won't." Anders kissed his cheek above the line of his beard. "And you look dashing."

"I look like a butler."

" _My_ butler," Anders said with a laugh. He tugged at Hawke's arm. "Come on, we're going to be late."

\------------

Despite the antics and traffic, they arrived outside the restaurant just as Bull and a Tevinter man that could only be Dorian, arrived from the opposite direction. Anders rushed forward and embraced Dorian.

"Dorian!" Anders squealed.

"Anders, while it is always lovely to see you, you are going to wrinkle my suit," Dorian said with a note of affection.

"Sorry," Anders said sheepishly as he let Dorian go.

The moment he released Dorian, Anders was swept up into a giant hug by Bull. Bull managed to lift Anders clear off the ground and Anders grunted.

"Nice to see you too, Bull." Anders laughed as he was set down.

"First you're wandering around my boyfriend's house naked. Now you're holding him so tightly I could have sworn you'd break one of his ribs. I'm just not sure how I feel about all this," Hawke said wandering up behind Anders. He crossed his arms and stared at Bull.

Bull tilted his head and looked at Hawke for a moment before breaking out into a deep belly laugh. Hawke grinned and stretched out an arm to take Bull's hand. They shook.

"Great to see you again, Garrett," Bull said.

"Great to see less of you, Bull," Hawke responded.

Bull laughed again and gave Anders a wink. "I like this guy. You should keep him."

"I plan to," Anders said with a note of something in his voice that Hawke couldn't quite place. Hawke wrapped an arm around Anders' waist and pulled him into a loose embrace.

"Should I start to worry about what you get up to when I'm not around? Why has Anders' lovely young man seen you naked already?" Dorian asked, stepping up next to Bull.

Bull cleared his throat and blushed. "I had to answer the door."

"I see." Dorian raised an eyebrow and looked Hawke over. He seemed to be considering something. With a small nod, he reached out a carefully manicured hand to take Hawke's. "Dorian Pavus, a pleasure to meet you."

"Garrett Hawke. It's great to meet you. I've heard so much about you." Hawke shook Dorian's hand as he spoke.

"Have you now? Only good things, I'm sure." Dorian looked at Anders who just smiled and shrugged.

"Come on, let's get inside before they give our table away," Anders said, turning to walk to the restaurant's front door. He trailed his fingers along Hawke's arm and hand until he was out of reach.

"Come on, kadan. You can give the new guy a hard time over some wine. Only fair that he gets some alcohol first." Bull draped an arm over Dorian's shoulders and guided him toward the restaurant.

For a moment, Hawke stood on the sidewalk. He already felt somewhat blindsided and it sounded like it was just going to get worse. _Wonderful_. He turned and hurried to catch up, arriving just in time to be ushered to a dimly lit booth.

"Why are the expensive places always so dark?" Hawke asked. That earned him a grin from Bull, a snort from Dorian, and a kiss on the cheek from Anders.

"Because it's romantic," Anders said, giving Hawke another kiss to emphasize the point.

"Because they spend all their money on the top-shelf booze and exotic ingredients. Nothing left for the electricity bill," Bull added.

"And because it creates an ambience of mystique and the feeling that each table is in its own world,” Dorian said with a roll of his eyes at the other three. "Now be shush while the adult orders the wine."

Hawke had no idea how Dorian decided what to order, but he ordered with confidence. The waiter quickly came back with a bottle and poured a small amount for Dorian and waited. Dorian took a sip, spent a minute with the wine before nodding to the waiter. Everyone was served a glass and the waiter retreated.

“Cheers,” Bull said, holding his glass up. The others followed suit and there was a quiet tinkling as they clinked glasses.

They set their glasses down and replaced them with menus. Hawke had to swallow back a yelp as he looked at the prices. _$25 for the salad?!_ He suddenly wondered how much the wine was and then decided it was best not to think about it.

 Dorian peered over the edge of his menu right at Hawke. “So, Garrett… What exactly makes you good enough for our Anders?”

“Dorian!” Anders gasped and shot Dorian a glare.

“Kadan, we talked about this…” Bull said quietly out of the side of his mouth.

Hawke, on the other hand, smiled at Dorian. He squeezed Anders’ thigh and told him, “It’s fine,” before replying to Dorian’s question.

“I keep wondering that myself, actually,” Hawke said. He looked over at Anders and his smile softened into something more. Something gentle and warm. “He’s clearly much too smart for me. Certainly, more caring. Definitely braver. Handsome and gentle…”

Anders grabbed Hawke’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Hawke glanced at him and saw him smiling.

“In conclusion,” Hawke said, “I’m not. And every day I wonder why he puts up with me.”

“You big idiot,” Anders said and pulled Hawke into a hug. He kissed him on the cheek and trailed light kisses to his lips. Anders’ lips were gentle and warm.

The kiss was short, and Hawke was blushing profusely when he was released. He glanced at the other side of the table to see Bull smiling and exaggeratedly wiping his eyes. Dorian rolled his eyes at Bull and then nodded at Hawke.

“Right answer.” He looked at Anders. “Fine. You can potentially keep this one. More tests need to be done to confirm his suitability, but for the moment I approve.”

“I’m so happy I passed the first test,” Hawke said and snorted.

Dorian took a small sip of his wine, clearly eyeing Hawke from head to where his body disappeared behind the table. “Plus, he is a strapping specimen. I can see why you like him, Andy.”

“Dorian!” Anders squawked again but then grinned. “Yes. Yes, he his. So, keep your slippery Vint paws off him.”

“Too scrawny for me, my dear,” Dorian said haughtily and winked at Bull. Normally Hawke would have felt insulted, but it _was_ hard to compare to Bull.

At that moment the waiter arrived to take their order. Everyone but Hawke had already managed to decide on an entree. It turned out this was a regular spot to visit when Dorian was in town and they all knew the menu. That left Hawke scrambling to make a decision while the others ordered. He was still debating between two options when the waiter looked at him.

“I’ll… uhm… I’ll get the…” There was a long pause as he stared at the menu. “I’ll have the elk tenderloin, please.”

“Excellent,” the waiter said as he scooped up the menu and trotted off.

They chatted as they waited for their meals. Anders and Dorian dominated the conversation, acting as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. Which was apparently not far from the truth.

Hawke learned a lot by listening to the two men talk, filing information away for later. Anders likes and dislikes came up as the two friends talked, and Hawke knew that knowledge would come in handy.

Bull occasionally interjected with humorous comments, but otherwise sat quietly. Hawke watched Bull as he casually ran his fingers through Dorian’s hair or played with the hoop in Dorian’s ear. Tiny, loving gestures. He looked at Dorian with open affection. Hawke wondered if he looked at Anders that way.

He glanced over at Anders and smiled at how animated he was as he spoke. Anders’ hands flew through the air as he talked. Hawke slid his hand onto Anders’ thigh and squeezed it gently. When Anders glanced over, Hawke grinned at him and leaned into to kiss his cheek.

“Get a room you two,” Dorian joked from across the table.

“You first,” Hawke responded, looking pointedly at Bull who was nuzzling against Dorian’s neck. “You’re practically making a scene.”

“We’re allowed, you know.” Dorian stroked a hand along Bull’s jaw without looking at him. He had a small, coy smile.

“And why is that?” Anders asked, dropping a hand to wrap it around Hawke’s.

“Because we’re rightfully married,” Dorian stated.

“And that changes things how?” Anders asked.

“Well for one, you two are sinning and it’ll make Andraste cry.” Dorian looked at Bull and smiled then looked back at Anders and Hawke. “Second, today is our sixth wedding anniversary and we can have as many public displays of affection as we like.”

“Anniversary?” Hawke said dumbly like the idea had never even occurred to him. He had completely forgotten they were even married.

“Sixth already? Congratulations!” Anders squealed and practically jumped out of his seat to awkwardly hug Dorian from over the table. “This calls for something more than red wine.”

Anders waved down their waiter. He hurried over, looking a touch concerned.

“Yes, sir?”

“Orlesian sparkling wine, please. The –“ Anders ran a finger down the wine list, stopping at one item and tapping it – “ Val Montaigne, please.”

“Right away,” the waiter said with a nod and scurried off.

“The traditional gift for the sixth anniversary is… iron, right?” Anders paused and waited for Dorian to nod before continuing. “So, what did Bull get you?”

Bull snorted and wiggled his eyebrows at Anders. “Well, I _am_ the _Iron_ Bull…”

“Bull!” Dorian tried to swallow a laugh as he slapped Bull on the arm. He wasn’t successful and instead snorted.

Anders laughed and Hawke blushed. Having seen Bull mostly naked, it was hard for Hawke to not picture him completely naked. And Dorian was an attractive man so the image of the two of them – _Hawke, stop that. You pervert._

“So, who proposed to who?” Hawke asked glancing between Dorian and Bull, trying to get his mind on something else. He was honestly curious. He’d always assumed he’d be in a heterosexual relationship and he’d obviously be the one proposing if it came down to it. Now that he was dating a man, he actually wasn’t sure of the etiquette. Would Anders drop hints and expect Hawke to propose? Was there a set timeline between starting to date and being allowed to propose without it seeming desperate? Do you still buy a ring?

“You had to ask,” Andres groaned.

There was a mischievous glint in Dorian’s eyes as he asked, “Who do you think?”

Hawke suddenly felt trapped. He glanced between Bull and Dorian. They both seemed the direct sort, so were just as likely to propose in that regard. Bull was being more physically affectionate so…

“Bull?”

“What? You think because he’s the big, strong man that he’d be the _man_ in the relationship,” Dorian asked, squinting at Hawke.

There was a trickle of sweat running down the back of Hawke’s neck. He had no idea how he’d put his foot in his mouth, but he clearly had.

“No. No, of course not… I just…It’s just that he –” He stuttered as he tried to remove the foot from his mouth. He glanced over at Anders to see him rolling his eyes at Bull. When Hawke looked at Bull he could see him trying to hide a smile.

“Stop teasing the boy, kadan,” Bull said affectionately to Dorian.

Dorian sighed. “Fine.”

“I did propose.” Bull took over. “We’d been seeing each other for about a year? Dorian had just gotten his Ferelden permanent resident status after spending time as a refugee.”

Bull looked over at Dorian and gave him a soft smile. Dorian turned the smile and nodded, squeezing Bull’s hand on the table.

“We, of course, had to go out to celebrate.”

The waiter returned with the sparkling wine.

“Hold that thought,” Bull said.

The uncorking of the bottle was done with flair; an obvious performance. Anders was served first and took a sip. Once he’d nodded, the waiter poured the other three glasses. After he’d stepped away, Anders held his glass toward the centre of the table.

“To Bull and Dorian and many more happy, enjoyable years.”

The clinked glasses and everyone drank.

“There are no worries about enjoyable. _That_ I can promise.” Bull grinned and winked. Or at least, Hawke thought it was a wink. So hard to tell with just one eye.

The bubbles from the sparkling wine tickled Hawke’s throat and he coughed quietly into his glass. Beer was much more his thing. He set his glass down, trying to look nonchalant.

“Where was I?” Bull asked, looking around the table.  

“I had finally found out they were not going to deport me back to Tevinter,” Dorian supplied.

“Right. So, we go out for dinner. Small Antivan restaurant. Fancy, romantic place.” Bull continued the story.

“It was a _pizza shop_."

Hawke and Anders laughed, while Bull looked hurt. Hawke wrapped his arm around Anders' waist and pulled him closer as he listened. He was watching Bull, but he heard Anders give a tiny sigh and felt the weight of his head on his shoulder. Hawke reached up with his free hand to run his fingers through Anders’ loose hair.

“As I was saying, a fancy, romantic pizza shop…We’re drinking and joking around when Dorian makes a quip along the lines of “At least I didn’t have to marry you to get to stay in the country”.”

Dorian scoffed. “You make me sound horrible.”

“You _are_ horrible,” Bull said lovingly.

“And I’m all yours,” Dorian added. Dorian leaned up to kiss Bull to emphasize the point.

“Ugh. You two are disgustingly sweet. Get back to the story before my teeth rot from the sweetness,” Anders cut in while at the same time nuzzling against Hawke’s neck.

 _Adorable hypocrite_ , Hawke thought.   

“So, I asked “Would that really be so bad?” and Dorian laughed and waved the thought off. As he does… but that’s when the idea struck me.” Bull smiled as he spoke. “I stood and took Dorian’s hand, pulling him from his seat. I told him how much I loved him, how I’d never have let him be sent back…” Bull’s eyes were misting over, and he paused as his voice caught in his throat.

“So, he gets down on one knee – which still has him nearly at my shoulders – and asks me to marry him,” Dorian took over the story. “From somewhere he pulls a ring. Simple, titanium band set with diamonds.” Dorian held his hand out to show the ring.

“I’d been carrying that thing around for months. Just in case we’d needed to elope to keep Dorian from being sent back home.” Bull reached out and lightly touched the band.

“Always prepared,” Dorian said. “And of course, I said yes. The ring was clearly made to match my lovely skin tone.”

“As was I,” Bull said.

“Yes. Yes. You too.” Dorian waved his hand.

“And now you’ve been together for six years? That’s amazing.” Hawke said. He was filing away more notes for the future. Just in case.

“It’s something,” Dorian said with a smirk.

The meal finally arrived, and conversation trickled off. There was the occasional comment, mostly Dorian critiquing the food, but otherwise, they ate in silence. It was an odd shift after the laughter and conversation.

As the dessert plates were cleared away and the wine bottles removed, Anders leaned close to Hawke.

“Pounce will be fine overnight…” He trailed off and kissed Hawke’s neck. Hawke shivered and squeeze Anders’ thigh.

“That looks like a sign the evening should come to an end,” Bull said, grinning at Hawke and Anders.

Hawke blushed but Anders grinned back. “As much as I enjoy your company, I have plans for later this evening.”

 _Plans?_ Hawke blinked, momentarily confused until he felt Anders’ hand on his thigh. _Oh_.

“As do we,” Dorian said.

When the bill arrived, Anders snatched it from the waiter before he could put it down. Dorian protested, but weakly. After it was paid, they all wandered out and stopped on the sidewalk to say their goodbyes.

Bull nearly broke a rib squeezing Hawke in a hug.

Dorian shook Hawke’s hand, pulling him in close. “I know a variety of martial arts. You hurt him, I hurt you,” he murmured next to Hawke’s ear.

Hawke swallowed a nodded.

“Stop scaring the boy,” Bull said as he realised Anders from his hug.

“I’m not scaring him,” Dorian looked at Hawke “Am I?”

“Of course not,” Hawke said meekly.

Anders wrapped an arm around his waist and grinned. “Dorian’s bark is definitely worse than his bite. It’s Bull you need to watch out for.”

“Hard to miss him,” Hawke said, looking Bull up and down. Everyone laughed. That’s how the dinner ended. On laughter.

Hawke held Anders close as they walked back to the car. He looked over as Anders rested his head on his shoulder again. Anders’ was flushed pink from the wine. It gave his cheeks more colour than normal, and Hawke thought it adorable.

As they walked, Anders ran his fingers up and down Hawke’s back. “I was thinking,” he said quietly.

“What’s that, love?” Hawke asked.

“Well, this living in two different places thing is a bit of a pain. Ruins some of the spontaneity, having to plan for the pets to be prepared for one of us to be away.”

“Mmm?”

“I was thinking,” Anders repeated. “What if we move in together?”

“What?” Hawke stopped walking and turned to look at Anders. “Move in together?”

“Would that be so bad?” Anders asked.

“Well… no. But isn’t it a bit fast?”

Anders shrugged and offered a small smile. “Sometimes life moves quickly. That doesn’t make it wrong.”

Hawke nodded, wrapping Anders back against his side to finish the walk to the care. They separated as they reached the car, and after getting in Hawke nodded again.

“Yes. Let’s do it,” Hawke said.

“Do what?” Anders asked as he buckled his seatbelt.

“Let’s move in together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pizza shop bit is 100% my beta's joke. I don't have this properly beta-ed (so you might find mistakes) but he still gets first read and ability to comment. Sometimes those comments make it into the fic. :D


	11. Moving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke moves in with Anders

It was bittersweet, shutting the door on his place for the last time. The idea of strangers – the realtor, the interior designer staging the home, potential buyers – wandering through his homemade Hawke uncomfortable and he tried not to think about it. He glanced back at the door as he loaded the last box into the rental van and sighed.

“Getting cold feet?” Anders asked as he came around the back of the van. He wore the same sweatshirt and jeans he’d worn to the animal shelter. Hawke decided they were Anders’ “might get dirty” clothes. He’d probably need more if he was going to spend time with Hawke and his friends at any point.

“Of course not.” Hawke wrapped an arm around Anders’ waist and pull him into a hug. He nuzzled against Anders’ neck, making him squirm to get away from the rough beard.

“Change can be hard. But you’ll have everything you need with me. Plus, you still have your workshop when you need to get away from me,” Anders said laughing as he fought to get away.

“You are all I need,” Hawke said, squeezing tighter and giving Anders a deep kiss.

When the kiss ended, and Anders was released, he thumped Hawke on the chest with a fist. “As romantic as that sounds, you do realize that is an unhealthy relationship expectation, right?”

“Way to ruin a mood, Andy,” Hawke snorted. He had adopted the nickname after the dinner with Dorian and Bull. He liked it but hadn’t been sure Anders would appreciate it. Luckily, Anders seemed to like having something near a pet name. He always smiled when Hawke used it.

“With everything we have to move, that’s probably for the best. Otherwise, you’d end up having to live out of this van because you never get moved in.” Anders danced his fingers over Hawke’s cheek and cupped his jaw. He leaned in for a light kiss before darting away before Hawke could grab him.

Hawke tried anyhow and managed to get a fist of sweatshirt. He pulled Anders back into another embrace. This one was more subdued. He looked into Anders’ eyes, fingers laced behind his back. “Are you sure about this? It’s so fast. What if we’re making a horrible mistake?”

“We make the mistake and we learn from it. Or it isn’t a mistake and we get a few moments of happiness each day, wrapped into each other’s arms.” Anders kisses Hawke’s cheek and smiled. “You can always hold off on selling your place. Just in case.”

There was a sad tone to Anders’ voice as he spoke the last sentence. Hawke’s heart broke in those three words. He suddenly knew someone had hurt Anders. Someone had left him or hedged their bets and it had all fallen apart. His smart, gentle, confident Anders suddenly seemed smaller and it hurt even more. Hawke felt a tinge of anger, which he channelled into hugging Anders until he could feel his ribs pressing into his chest.

“I don’t need a “just in case”, my love.” He kissed him, light and sweet. “Let’s go home.”

“Yes, dear,” Anders said with a grin. He reached into Hawke’s pant pocket and stole the van’s keys.

This time Hawke wasn’t fast enough, and Anders was in the driver’s seat before Hawke had moved from his spot on the sidewalk. Hawke smiled and shrugged, climbing into the passenger seat next to Anders. He watched his old home disappear in the rearview mirror and realized he no longer had doubts.

The last time Hawke moved it had been by himself into the house he was leaving behind him. It had been easier to leave his mother’s home because he knew he could always go back. That, Hawke realized, was what had made him voice doubts. Once he moved and his house sold, there was no going back. There was no safety net. He wanted to move in with Anders. He wanted to be the last thing Anders saw before going to sleep and the first thing he saw in the morning. There were no doubts about that. But as Anders had said… Change is hard.

Anders seemed to recognize Hawke’s internal struggle and he didn’t say anything until they arrived at the house.

“Hope you’re ready for chaos,” he quipped as he shut the engine off.

“What do you mean?” Hawke looked at him in confusion.

“You’ve never moved with a pet before, have you?”

“No.” Hawke blinked, trying to figure out what Anders was getting at. He tried to picture moving his boxes in with Dog and Pounce underfoot, chasing each other, begging for food… “This isn’t going to be fun, is it?”

“Fun isn’t quite the word I’d use but… It will be interesting.” Anders slid out of the van and shut the door. Hawke followed closely behind him.

Luckily, Hawke had left most of his furniture in the old house to be used in the staging and sold with the house if the owners desired. Anders had all the furniture and dishes he could need. He did bring his own dresser but otherwise, it was boxes of clothes, books, DVDs and other knickknacks. Easily moved. Or so Hawke had thought.

Hawke opened the back of the van and grabbed the first box he could reach. Ander had gone ahead to unlock the door and Hawke followed close behind. He’d barely kicked the door shut when Dog barreled into the hallway. He let out an excited  _woof_  and jumped up against Anders, nearly knocking him to the ground.

“For once I approve of your traitorous ways,” Hawke said to Dog as he squeezed by the mastiff and Anders, heading to the study with his box of books.

Not tripping over an animal became like a game. Dog was fairly easy to avoid because he was easy to see, and he made enough noise to announce his arrival. The biggest challenge was Dog was simply fitting past him with the boxes.

Pounce, on the other hand, was sneaky.

Sometimes Hawke wondered if Pounce wasn’t trying to kill him. Truly. He’d be carrying the heaviest box of books he had, and Pounce would suddenly be there in front of him. Or he’d be carrying something up the stairs to the bedroom and the cat would race down between his legs.

When all the boxes had been cleared from the van and put in their respective rooms, Hawke collapsed onto the couch. Dog was already fast asleep stretched out on the living room floor, obviously worn out from getting in the way all day.

“I don’t think Pounce likes me,” Hawke said as Anders walked by the living room door.

“What makes you say that?” Anders settled sideways on the couch next to Hawke, draping his legs across Hawke’s thighs.

“He’s trying to kill me,” Hawke said seriously.

Anders burst out laughing. Hawke could feel the vibrations in his legs as Anders’ whole body shook.

“You’re really not a cat person, are you?” Anders asked, still laughing.

“Must more a dog person, if you must know,” Hawke replied.

“Trying to kill you is the cat version of “I love you”.”

Hawke snorted and looked at Anders in disbelief Anders just nodded.

“So, every time I think he hates me, it is really just him showing his love?”

“Exactly,” Anders said with a large grin.

“Cats are so confusing. Why can’t they be more like dogs?”

“Because then they wouldn’t be as cute.”

“Hey!” Hawke protested. “Dog is fucking adorable!”

“Yes. Yes, he is.” Anders shifted to sit on Hawke’s thighs and wrapped his arms around Hawke’s neck. “Just like his daddy.”

Anders’ kiss started gentle but quickly turned into a deep, searing kiss. He rocked forward, pressing as close as he could… until Hawke’s stomach let out an embarrassingly loud rumble.

“Sorry,” Hawke mumbled against Anders’ lips.

“Hungry?” Anders laughed.

“Yes,” Hawke said with a pout. He really didn’t want Anders to move but he was also getting a pain in his stomach from having spent half the day moving without stopping for food.

“Pizza?” Anders asked, slipping off Hawke’s lap and standing.

“Ordered or made?”

“I learned you’re too much of a distraction for fresh-made pizza. Let’s order in.” Anders fished his phone from his pocket and was tapping at an app before Hawke could voice an opinion.

“I’ll go work on unpacking.” Hawke got up and headed into the study. He settled onto the floor and pulled the tape from a box.

Inside was balled up newspaper to keep the books from sliding around in the box during the move. He pulled that out and tossed it in a pile on the floor, then looked around at the bookshelves. He wondered if he should clear space for his own section or place his books with Anders’. He tried to figure out how Anders shelved his books and realized Anders had already clear space.

The books had obviously been shifted and gaps made so Hawke could add him books right into the collection. Right into Anders’ life.

Hawke smiled as he realized Anders wasn’t keep anything his; didn’t want to keep his thing separate or protect his old ways of doing things. He was welcoming Hawke into ever part of his personal life.

_Crinkle. Crinkle. Thump_.

“What in the Andraste’s name…” Hawke look down in time to see Pounce slide across the hardwood floor right into the baseboards. He was chasing one of the balls of newspaper and couldn’t stop in time. He then spun, pushing off the wall and tackling the paper again.

Hawke couldn’t help but laugh. He watched Pounce chase the ball for a few minutes then returned to shelving books. He was near the bottom of the box when Pounce decide it looked inviting.

“Hey! Out!” Hawke reached in to grab Pounce and set him on the floor. 

Pounce sat and watched Hawke pull more books from the box. Feeling confident Pounce had learned he wasn’t supposed to be in the box, Hawke turned to place the books on the shelf. When he turned back, Pounce wasn’t in the same place. He was in the box.

“What did I just say?” Hawke asked, trying not to just laugh. He plucked Pounce from the box and set his back on the floor. “At least stay out until the books have been removed. Please?”

Pounce just blinked back at Hawke and Hawke took that as an acknowledgement. That was his mistake. Once again when he turned back, Pounce was in the box.

“You win. I give up.”

“That was fast,” Anders said from the doorway. Hawke looked over to see him leaning against the door jamb. “But he does rule the house. I may have forgotten to mention that. We may  _think_  we run this place, but really it’s Pounce.”

“Great,” Hawke mumbled. “Pizza here yet?”

“Just arrived. That’s what I came to tell you when I found you being subjugated by the cat.” Anders grinned at Hawke.

“I am already a good servant, just ask Dog.” He wandered over, wrapping Anders in a quick hug before heading towards the kitchen. Anders followed close behind.

“At least we don’t have to sit on the floor and eat pizza from the box because the plates are still packed up and the furniture hasn’t arrived,” Anders said as he set slices of pizza on plates and handed one to Hawke. “That’s how I spent my first night in Kirkwall.”

“Bonus of moving in with you,” Hawke mumbled around his slide of pizza as he sat at the kitchen island. “Among the other bonuses, of course.”

“Of course.”

They ate in relative silence, both obviously hungry from the day’s activities. Hawke consumed five slices of pizza and was amazed that Anders matched him bite for bite. As Anders was finishing his last piece, Hawke commented, “Where do you put it all?”

Anders swallowed and then laughed. “I told you I can eat a lot. I have a really high metabolism. Plus, I run a lot.”

“You run?” Hawke blinked and wondered how he didn’t know that about Anders. It seemed a simple detail that he should know about the person he was living with.

“Almost every day. You should join me!” Anders said enthusiastically.

“I’m more of a weights person,” Hawke replied.

“Cardio is good for you, Hawke. You’ll live longer.”

“I get cardio.” Hawke reached out and pulled Anders off the barstool and into his lap. “I just get it in more fun ways.”

“And living together, you’ll get more of it. Good point.” Anders kissed Hawke on the tip of the nose, grinning. Anders let out a huge yawn, covering his mouth with the back of his hand and then smiled sheepishly. “But I don’t think you’ll get a workout in tonight.”

The yawn was contagious and Hawke buried his face again Anders’ shoulder to hide his.

“But shouldn’t we celebrate?” Hawke asked, pouting.

“We have all the time in the world,” Anders said, running a hand down Hawke’s cheek. “Tonight we sleep.”

Hawke sighed and nodded. He scooped Anders up and carried him bridal-style up the stairs to the bedroom and deposited him gently on the bed.

“What about brushing our teeth?” Anders asked, looking up at Hawke with a small smile.

“One night won’t ruin our teeth. Come on. I want to snuggle my live-in boyfriend,” Hawk said, already removing clothing.  

Anders laughed and sat up on the bed to pull his shirt off. “I’ll remember to blame you when my dentist gives me hell.”

“You can blame me for anything. That’s what boyfriends are for.” Hawke flopped on the bed in his boxers and grabbed Anders. He rolled so Anders was laying on top of him, body warm against his. “I love you, Andy.”

There was a small pause and Hawke started to worry. He couldn’t remember if he’d said that before. Had he just scared Anders off? They were living together, that meant they loved each other didn’t it?

“I love you too, Hawke.” Anders’ voice seemed to catch and Hawke realized he was crying. _Crying_.

Hawke rolled so they were laying side-by-side and cupped Anders’ cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“I just…” Anders' voice broke and he sniffed.

“Come on. Let’s get into bed.” Hawke shifted so he could pull the blankets aside and he helped guide Anders under. When they were both settled, he wrapped his arms around Anders’ waist and held him close, chin slotted against his neck and shoulder.

“I’m just so happy,” Anders murmured against the side of Hawke’s head.

“With you. Here. I don’t think I could be any happier.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geh. So fluff. My teeth hurt. Sorry.


	12. Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Hawke and Anders' one-year anniversary of their dating.

“Andy, where’s the cheese grater?” Hawke shouted from the kitchen. He could hear Anders’ sigh from the other room and a moment later he appeared in the doorway.

“In the top drawer, second from the sink. Where it always is,” Anders said with a small smile. He wandered over to where Hawke was digging through the drawer and wrapped one arm around Hawke’s waist. His free hand reached into the draw and plucked out the grater. He set that on the counter before wrapping Hawke in a tight hug. “You’d think you’d just moved in. You’ve lived here for almost a year, how can you still not find the grater?”

Hawke turned in Anders’ arms and wrapped his own around Anders’ waist. He leaned in and kissed Anders lightly before replying, “You’re always the one who cooks.”

“That’s because everything you create is inedible.” Anders placed a kiss on the tip of Hawke’s nose.

“Hey! I make great scrambled eggs!” Hawke pouted.

“True. That’s why you’re allowed to be in here alone right now.” Anders released Hawke with one more light kiss. He stepped backed and smiled. “I’m going to go back to the dinner preparations. Please try not to set fire to the kitchen again. That would very much ruin the mood.”

“No promises.” Hawke grinned and scooped the grater off the counter. As Anders wandered back into the dining room, Hawke set about making breakfast. He’d promised Anders he’d make him breakfast on their anniversary. The original plan had been breakfast in bed, but that’s spent a little too much time in bed and there were things to be done. So instead, Anders worked while Hawke cooked.

While it was a risk, Hawke had opted for omelettes instead of his usual, and safe, scrambled eggs. They weren’t that different, he was sure he could manage. He wanted to make the fanciest thing he could for Anders. He deserved better than Hawke could give him.

The cheese grater and a bowl were set on the kitchen island, then Hawke went to the fridge. He pulled out the eggs, cheese, spinach, and broccoli. He also grabbed mushrooms and a tomato from the produce bowl on the counter. After finding the cutting board – why was it hidden next to the toaster? – and grabbing a knife and whisk, Hawke was ready.

Chopping vegetables was the other thing he was allowed to do in the kitchen. It was how he contributed to the dinner preparations while Anders did the actual planning and cooking. He created a mix of the vegetables, chopped into small squares, and left them on the cutting board. As he worked, he hummed to himself.

Next was cracking half a dozen eggs into the bowl. He waited to whisk until he had a pan heated up. He gave the eggs a quick whisk, dropped in the vegetables, and whisked again before adding the egg to the pan.

As the omelette was cooking, Hawke grated the cheese onto the cutting board. He was just finishing when he heard _Meow_ and felt paws on his leg. He glanced down to see Pounce reaching up, one paw down on Hawke’s leg and the other reaching for the counter.

“It isn’t good for you,” Hawke said.

“Meow.”

There was the familiar rumbled of the house as Dog came racing into the kitchen. He barely managed to stop as he slid on the tile. He sat on the opposite side of Hawke from where Pounce was, tail wagging.

“Not you too.” Hawke rolled his eyes, glancing over at the omelette. It looked like it needed to be flipped. He walked over to the stove, having to dodge the mastiff and cat who were both trying to weave in front of him, begging for cheese.

The flip went perfectly, and Hawke was disappointed his only audience was Dog and Pounce.

“At least you’ll vouch for me, right?” They both just blinked at him.

It was time for the cheese, but Hawke knew getting back across the kitchen while carrying the cheese was going to be like running a gauntlet. So, he gave up and shared. He put two little piles on the floor in front of both pets and moved quickly to the stove before they could finish their prize.

“Almost ready, love!” Hawke called to Anders.

Once again Anders appeared in the doorway. He grabbed forks and knives from a drawer and disappear again. Hawke arched a brow as he watched Anders wander in and out of the kitchen without a word.

When the omelette was cooked, Hawke used the spatula to cut it in half and then plated it. He grabbed some leaves off the parsley plant growing on the windowsill and sprinkled them over the plate as he’d seen done on the cooking shows Anders loved to watch when he couldn’t sleep. He then added slices of orange for the same reason. He wanted it to be _perfect_.  

Both plates in hand, Hawke dodged Pounce and Dog and made his way into the dining room. They rarely ate in the dining room, instead opting for the more casual kitchen island, but today was special.

Hawke nearly dropped the plates when he saw the table.

While Hawke had been cooking, Anders had been busy. Hawke thought it had been something to do with their evening plans but that had all been a ruse. Instead, he’d been setting the table. There were red, heart-shaped placemats, candles floating in heart-shaped bowls, and a centre-piece of a dozen red roses.

“Anders…” Hawke found it hard to speak. He blinked, feeling a tear run down his cheek. “How did you manage this?”

“I’m a master of secrecy,” Anders said with a wink. He stood from the table and took the plates from Hawke’s numb hands. He set them on the table then turned and grabbed Hawke in an embrace.

It took Hawke a moment to respond, he was so caught off guard by additions to the dining room. He blinked as Anders hugged him and then let out a deep laugh. He squeezed Anders, probably a bit too hard, and kissed him.

“This is wonderful,” Hawke said quietly, eyes still damp. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Anders said and kissed away a tear. “Now let’s eat before all your hard work goes to waste.”

“Right. Yes. The omelettes.” Hawke cleared his throat and stepped back. He moved around Anders and pulled out his chair, waiting until Anders was seated before setting the plate in front of him. Then he settled across the table with his own breakfast.

“This looked delicious, Garrett. Thank you.” Anders used the side of his fork to cut into the omelette and took a bite. Hawke watched, holding his breath as he waited to see Anders’ reaction. Anders smiled as he chewed, and after swallowing said, “And tastes even better.”

There was a small whoosh as Hawke released his breath and smiled back. “I’m glad. And it’s healthy! Ish. If you ignore the cheese.”

“Cheese is fine in moderation,” Anders responded before taking another mouthful of omelette.

They ate in relative silence but it was a warm silence. Hawke watched Anders with a small smile and when Anders noticed, he blushed and smiled back.

When their plates were empty of everything except the parsley and orange rind, Anders looked at Hawke. “Presents now or at dinner?”

“Dinner,” Hawke said immediately. He’d already planned for dinner and wasn’t ready yet. Not yet.

“Dinner it is.” Anders stood and grabbed his plate. Hawke leapt up and snatched it away.

“You don’t have to do the dishes today.” Hawke grabbed his plate and walked to the kitchen. Anders followed close on his heels.

“You cooked – let me help with the clean-up.” He had that stubborn tone to his voice and Hawke knew there would be no point to arguing. And he did clean up when Anders cooked.

“You wash and I dry?”

“Or we used the dishwasher and go back to bed,” Anders suggested with a wiggle of his hips and eyebrows. Hawke paused for a moment and blinked… then grinned.

“Done.” He put the plates in the dishwasher as Anders gathered up the dishes from the breakfast preparation. As Hawke was loading soap into the slot of the dishwasher door, Anders slipped back into the dining room to blow out the candles. He met Hawke at the door to the kitchen.

They shared a gentle kiss as Anders took Hawke’s hand then led him up to the bedroom, where the spent the next two hours wrapped in each other’s arms.

 

Hawke was wearing the same suit he’d worn to that first dinner with Dorian and Bull. This time, though, he was able to tie his own tie. He adjusted it in the mirror and nodded to himself. He’d spent a large part of the afternoon grooming his beard to its best – trimming, combing, oiling.

“Well doesn’t someone looking handsome,” Anders purred from the doorway. Hawke could see him lounging against the door jamb, dressed in an expensive dark blue suit that looked amazing with his blonde hair and brown eyes. Though, to Hawke, Anders always looked amazing. He pressed his hand to the gift in his pocket and smiled.

“I’m nothing like you,” Hawke said as he turned his back to the mirror to fully taking in Anders. His Anders.

Anders pushed off the door jamb and sauntered – yes, sauntered – over to Hawke. He draped an arm casually around Hawke's neck and pulled him into a deep his. Hawke’s stomach flipped the same way it had the first time Anders had kissed him.

When Anders pulled back he wrinkled his nose and sniffed. “New beard oil?”

“Yes. Do you like it?” Hawke tugged at his beard, suddenly concerned Anders didn’t like the smell of the new oil.

“It is perfection. Smells very… manly.” Anders squeezed Hawke’s bicep with a grin. “Just like you.”

Hawke blushed and cleared his throat. “We’re going to be late for dinner if we don’t leave soon. And Sera will not be happy if we show up after she’s given out table away.”

“You know she’d never do that,” Anders said, stepping back anyhow. He ducked around Hawke to fix his own tie and hair in the mirror. When he was done, he turned and hooked his arm around Hawke, guiding him from the room. “Well, let’s go then.”

They walked together, arms linked, to the restaurant that was where they had their real first date. Hawke smiled as they walked by spots he remembered from that night a little under a year ago. He reached out and squeezed Anders arm. Anders glanced over and Hawke gave him a soft smile.

“I love you,” Hawke said softly.

“I love you too,” Anders responded, leaning over to kiss Hawke’s cheek without breaking stride.

Sera met them at the front door and gave both men tight hugs.

“Your booth is ready.” She led them through the crowded restaurant to their booth. It was the same booth they’d had their first night and every night they’d visited since.

There was sparkling wine waiting and a fondue tray. Hawke grinned at Sera and she patted his arm. “Told you I’d look after you.”

“Thanks, Sera. I owe you.”

“Yep. Ya do. Now enjoy!” She shooed them into the booth and bounded off.

“After you,” Hawke gestured Anders in and then slid in beside him. He smiled and grabbed the wine glasses, passing one to Anders and holding up his own. “Cheers.”

“Cheers,” Anders said and they both drank.

Hawke liked the booth because it allowed them to cuddle while they ate and drank or waited for their food. Tonight was no different, and Anders settled a hand on Hawke’s thigh and his cheek on Hawke’s shoulder. Hawke smiled and fed him the fondue as they waited for Sera to bring their meals.

The dinner had been prearranged. There were no decisions to be made on their anniversary. Only food, and fun, and love. Hawke wanted to make sure everything went smoothly, so he’d planned more than any other time in his life. He hoped everything went off without a hitch. So far, so go.

The salads arrived. Then the tenderloins. Then the pecan chocolate ganache tarts. There was giggling and feeding of each there. There was remembering the funny and loving times over the previous year. There was talk of the luck of running into each other at the dog park.

It was perfect.

As they were finishing dessert – Hawke feeding Anders small bites of the ganache tart – Hawke’s stomach started to flutter. He tried to keep his hand steady and not give away his nervousness, but he wasn’t sure he was successful. Anders was giving him some sort of look he didn’t completely recognize.

Sera cleared away their plates when they finished and brought more wine. Hawke drank half the glass in one go.

“Time for presents?” Anders asked with a smile that was almost shy. Shy - at this point in their relationship.

“Ye –“ Hawke cleared his throat – “Yes.”

Hawke slid out one side of the booth and Anders out the other. They stopped and looked at each other in confusion. Hawke reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Anders reached into his and pulled out a small red box. They looked at each other.

Anders started to laugh. Hawke followed.

“Are we…?” Hawke asked

“I think we are,” Anders responded.

“Do you want to go first?”

“How about we go together?” Anders suggested.

“On three?”

“On three.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

“Will you marry me?” Hawke and Anders said at the same time.

They both opened the boxes they held and presented the ring inside.  Anders’ ring to Hawke was a simple black titanium band with a single small diamond set in. Hawke’s ring to Anders was gold the colour of his hair, set with small diamonds along the band mixed with sapphires.

Rings held out, both men stared into each other’s eyes. Hawke could feel tears down his cheeks and saw Anders’ eye twinkling with moisture.

“Yes,” they both said in unison and laughed again. They slipped the rings on each other’s fingers, both grinning. Hawke scooped Anders up into his arms and twirled him, ring box still held awkwardly in his hand. Anders laughed and when he was finally set back on the ground, immediately kissed Hawke.

He tasted of sparkling wine. And chocolate. And love. And hope. And the future.  

The future. His future with Anders. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking this journey with me. I have a feeling these boys will be back, and I need to do a Kirkwall Mythbusters series, but for now... that's it folks. Thanks so much for reading this little exercise in tooth-rotting fluff.


End file.
